The Charming Type I - Underneath the Beauty
by XRinAbyssX
Summary: Haruhi caught up to her, looking up at the sign above the door. "The Third Music Room?" "Well, the other music rooms had music coming from them, obviously. But this one doesn't, it's silent. Maybe this room could be your little study room." Haruhi looked at the door to the room once more before he shrugged. What's the worst that could happen? Well, the Host Club could happen.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: **

"The Blonde Beauty – A Female Host"

{Episode One - Starting Today, You are a Host}

* * *

The young, teenage girl stared up at the giant school standing in front of her as she clutched her books to her chest, the unusually bright, pink colour of the school almost blinding her. She sighed as she glanced through the open doors of the grand, black gate, wondering how she was going to be able to cope in such a big school.

She was standing at the gates of Ouran Academy – a private highschool for the super-rich. At least, that's what the chairman had informed her during her letter of acceptance.

She watched as many students walked past her, whispering to each other as they passed and entered the school. Knowing their stares and whispers were directed at her, she quickly adjusted her uniform – a yellow dress with poufy sleeves and a white collar and red ribbon – along with her golden, dirty blonde hair which she had tied into a high ponytail. She looked down at the piece of paper in her right hand, observing the number that was written on it by the lady at the front office.

She had no idea how she would be able to read it as she took a deep breath, taking her first steps into Ouran Academy, her feet breaking the strange silence as they tapped onto the concrete. She looked back down at the handwriting, trying to figure out what the number said, until she bumped into the back of someone.

She yelped as she stumbled backwards, losing her balance as she tripped over her own horrid, brown shoes. Her butt made contact with the ground as she gave a groan, realising how predictable it was that she had bumped into someone and fell down to the ground on the first day of school.

It was just like all the romance novels that she would read and fantasise over. As she looked up, she wondered if she would bump into her destined love who would end up hating her at first, but then warm up to her and the two would fall in love. Once she glanced at the person in front of her, she quickly realised that maybe she shouldn't believe everything she reads.

First of all, it was a girl disguised as a boy. At least, that's what it looked like.

"Oh, sorry," the 'boy' with scruffy, brown hair said. "Are you alright?"

She tilted her head to the side, noticing the very thick, brown rimmed glass along with his very thin and ugly brown sweater. She noticed that none of the students took a second glance at them as they walked past.

She looked back to the 'boy' in front of her, wondering why he wasn't wearing the appropriate uniform. Maybe he couldn't afford it?

She quickly realised that he was waiting for an answer. "Oh yes, I'm alright," she said with a sweet smile as she stood back up, brushing herself off. She knew that she needed to keep up appearances, especially at a school like this. If she didn't, her step-parents would greatly complain as they wanted their image to be perfect. And that's what she needed to try to be.

"I wasn't paying attention," she continued. "Sorry about that."

The 'boy' nodded as he glanced down at the piece of paper that she held in her hands. "I'm guessing you're new here?"

She gave a nod as she handed him the piece of paper. "I can't read what it says," she replied as he glanced at the words.

The 'boy' looked up from the paper, raising his eyebrow slightly as he listened to her. "Are you a foreigner?" he asked.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, feeling a little self-conscious of her Japanese.

"There's just a bit of an accent in there. Your pronunciation is good though."

She sighed with relief, glad to know that it wasn't because of her lack of knowledge of the language. "It's French."

He nodded as he gave a smile. "I can pick it up now." He looked back down to the paper and picked out the handwriting. "You're in Class 1-A with me. I'll show you there."

"Thank you. I probably would have gotten lost."

"I got a bit lost on my first day too, it's a little daunting…What's your name, by the way?"

"Renée Rin Marie Hayashi-Bellerose," she said, using her full French name as the two started walking towards the open, giant doors to the school, him stepping inside first as he directed her down the halls.

"Nice name…Fujioka, Haruhi," he replied as he motioned his head over to the right hallway. "Follow me."

She nodded as he led them down the hall and over to the classroom, not knowing how eventful her first day would actually be.

…

"Are there any quiet places around here at Ouran?" Rin asked as the two headed outside to walk in the courtyard, watching all the rich and wealthy kids talking in large groups with their friends, staring at them as they passed.

Haruhi sighed as he looked down at the three text books in his hands. "I've already tried all the libraries at this school," he said. "But they're all filled with people."

"Oh, that's a bit annoying, isn't it?"

Haruhi stopped walking as he watched her continue to walk past, studying her and her attitude compared to the other students. "I never would have picked you for a studying type."

"Well, I'm not really," she said as she turned back around. "I just like some time by myself and escape with a good book and some music."

"So, you don't actually study?" Haruhi asked.

She shook her head. "I would, but I'm not very good at most things. Mostly because I'm not interested in the subject, so I don't bother trying. And don't look at me like that, I know that's not a good attitude."

Haruhi had opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it once she made her comment. He had no idea how she could live her life thinking like that, but he guessed everyone had a different outlook on their lives.

"How did you get into the school?" he asked.

"I paid the entrance fees. Didn't you?"

Haruhi groaned, obviously some negative thoughts running through his mind as he stared blankly at her. Rin noticed something that was very strange about Haruhi and the way he acted. He seemed too…feminine. But not flamboyant. The mannerisms were very much like a girl.

Could he actually be…?

_The First Lightbulb Has Turned On…_

Rin shook her head, knowing that she shouldn't be judging people by their appearance. If she was wrong, she'd probably never make a new friend ever again, especially if word got out about it.

"So, how do you like the school so far?" he asked, trying to think of something to talk about.

Rin held onto one of her favourite romance novels, which she had read over about ten times, as she jumped onto the beam next to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, a joyous smile on her face as she giggled as she balanced across it. She forgot about his question as she continued to walk across.

"Have you not done that before?" Haruhi asked, finding it strange how she could find so much enjoyment out of walking across a beam.

She shook her head. "No, it's quite fun actually. I never really got to do much as a child."

Haruhi knew he shouldn't pry into her life, as she wasn't prying into his. He wondered how bad her childhood must have been if she found enjoyment just out of walking across a beam. He looked back down at the textbooks, deciding to quickly change the subject.

"Maybe we should check inside again?" he suggested.

Rin raised her head up as she stared over at Haruhi, tilting her head. "Huh?"

"There could be a room we missed in there."

"Oh," she said as she quickly jumped off the beam, landing right in front of Haruhi who jumped in shock. Her smile reached her eyes as she adjusted her dress and hair. "You just want to study, don't you?"

"I have to do well on my exams."

"Exams are months away. We just started school! Live a little."

Haruhi gave her a blank stare, wondering what she meant, but Rin shook her head with a sigh. "Let's just go inside."

…

As they walked down the quiet hallways of the school, they across a hallway that had literally no students walking down. It seemed almost abandoned.

"Does anyone go down here?" Rin asked.

Haruhi gave a shrug. "I think so, but I've never been down there."

"An even better reason to go down there!" Rin quickly headed down the silent hallway, curious to see what secrets hid behind the door at the end of the hallway. Haruhi, not knowing what else to do, followed behind her.

"Haruhi," she said. "Maybe we should check this room!"

Haruhi caught up to her, looking up at the sign above the door. "_The Third Music Room_?"

"Well, the other music rooms had music coming from them, obviously. But this one doesn't, it's silent. Maybe this room could be your little study room."

Haruhi looked at the door to the room once more before he shrugged. What's the worst that could happen?

He placed his hands down on the door handle as he slowly pulled them down. He pulled the door towards him as the door inched open slowly, a bright light seeping through and red rose petals flying through the non-existent air. The smell of fresh roses were almost too strong as they filled the hallways, the light slowly starting to fade.

In the middle of the room were six, very attractive, young men with heart melting smiles on their faces that made Rin memorised. How could there be six such gorgeous young men gathered in the same place?

"Welcome," all the boys said in unison, their voices together sounding like a beautiful melody.

Haruhi's eyes widened as he froze in place.

"_When we opened the door, we found, the Host Club."_

…

"_Those with the wherewithal-first, in social standing, and second, with money – spend their time here, at the private Ouran Academy. As such, Ouran Host Club is where the handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain and charm the girls who also have too much time on their hands. _

_It is the school's own personal, elegant playground for the super-rich."_

…

"H-Host Club?" Haruhi asked, a shiver going up his spine.

"What is this place?" Rin whispered to herself, the heat rising to her cheeks as the boys continued to stare at them.

"Oh, it's a boy and his girlfriend," a pair of auburn haired twins spoke in unison.

"Oh, we're not-" Rin started.

"We're just friends," Haruhi interrupted, a little embarrassed at the thought.

The auburn haired twins raised their eyebrows, not sure if they believed them or not. But once they noticed how Haruhi was dressed, they quickly realised how wrong they were.

"Our mistake, she's too good to be yours," they said.

Rin blushed as she looked down, but Haruhi looked at them annoyed.

"Hikaru and Kaoru, this visitor is in the same class as you, right?" a boy with glasses asked, addressing the twins with his arms folded.

"She only came today, she's been hanging out with him all day."

"What about the gentleman?"

"Yes, he is, but he isn't very sociable, so we don't know him too well."

The boy with glasses smirked, as if he had figured something out that nobody else seemed to know. "It's impolite to say it like that."

_The Second Lightbulb Has Turned On…_

"Welcome to Ouran Host Club, Honour Student," he continued.

"What?" a boy with blonde hair asked as he stood right in front of them, his head moving closer to Haruhi's to inspect him. "Then, this exceptionally rare honour student we've heard about, Fujioka Haruhi, is _you_?"

Haruhi froze in his place as he stopped trying to open the suddenly now locked door. "How do you know my name?" he asked nervously.

"It's just that our school tradition makes it difficult for commoners to get in," the boy with glasses started. "I've been told that unless you possess a rather audacious nerve, you cannot become an honour student here."

"Why…thank you…" Haruhi's mouth twitched.

"Yes! He's saying that you are a hero, Fujioka-_kun_!" the blonde haired boy announced as he grabbed onto Haruhi's shoulder. "Even though you might be at the head of the class, you are still the poorest person in the whole school."

Haruhi quickly slid away to the left as he tried to escape the blonde haired boy's advancements. But, the boy just followed behind him.

"Maybe you lowly people are looked down upon."

"No, I wouldn't necessarily go _that_ far," Haruhi said as he quickly moved back to his original spot, feeling quite uncomfortable in his presence.

"It doesn't matter, does it? Love live the poor!" He pulled Haruhi close to him. "Welcome to our world of beauty, poor man!"

"I'm sorry, I hate to interrupt, but what is a Host Club?" Rin asked, feeling a little out of the loop.

Everyone's gaze quickly made its way to her, making her feel smaller than she was, even though she was a little taller than Haruhi.

"Oh princess, you must be new here," the blonde said with a heart-warming smile as he made his way over to her.

"Yes, we don't really have these back where I'm from."

"Oh, a foreigner! How delightful!" the boy exclaimed, turning back to the boys with an amazing grin on his face. "And what place would this beautiful princess be from?"

"Paris, France."

The blonde suddenly gasped, looking her up and down which made her feel even more uncomfortable, and gave Haruhi even more reasons for wanting to escape this place.

"Blonde hair…Brown eyes…French background," he muttered under his breath as he moved his face closer, trying to get a better look at her.

"Uh, what are you doing?" she asked.

He went silent for a second or two, before he came up with an idea. "Could you smile for me?"

"If you want a real one, I can't do that on demand. I can give you a fake one though."

He shook his head, needing to know why he seemed to recognise her.

"What would make you laugh then?" he asked with a pout like a little child.

"You could tell me a joke," she suggested.

His face quickly lit back up as the smile made its way back to his face. It was almost like he had been waiting for this chance to tell a joke to someone, but he had never gotten the chance too before.

"Okay princess, how do cows do mathematics?"

Everyone in the room went silence as they awaited the answer. The other boys looked annoyed or unamused, almost as if they already knew what was going to happen.

"They use a cow-culator."

Everyone in the room was dead silent. The boys rolled their eyes, almost in unison at how completely stupid, unfunny and plain unoriginal it was. But, that didn't stop Rin from giggling, breaking the awkward silence.

The boy's face flushed, most likely from embarrassment.

"You found that _funny_?" Haruhi asked, making Rin shake her head.

"No, it was funny because of everyone's reaction," she said in-between her giggles. She took some deep breaths as she calmed herself down, facing the stares of everyone else in the room.

"What's your name, princess?" the boy asked, regaining his composure.

"Why are you calling me princess? Also, it's Renée Rin Marie Hayashi-Bellerose," she said with a smile, tilting her head to the right.

"Ooh, what an exotic name," the twins said in unison as they looked at each other with a shrug. She didn't know if she should be offended or not by the comment.

The blonde quickly gasped, grabbing hold of her shoulders as he pulled her into a giant, bear hug. She yelped as she tried to escape, but his grip was too strong.

"Uh, boss?" the twin on the right asked.

"You don't normally get _this_ 'touchy' with the guests," the one on the left said.

"She may be cute, but you're acting strange Tama-_chan_," a small boy said as he held onto a pink bunny plushie.

"It's you Rin-_chan_! It's been too long!"

"I'm so confused right now," she said as she tried to get out of the bear hug.

He suddenly let her go, making her stumble as a result. "Don't you remember? My name is Tamaki Suoh, that young boy from France."

She stared at him, trying to rattle her brain back into her past. She pushed past everything until she found a young boy with the same eyes and smile.

"You're serious?"

He nodded. She smiled as she happily hugged him, but making sure that it wasn't bone crushing. He seemed to like it better as well.

"…I'm so confused," Haruhi muttered, voicing the other boys' thoughts.

Rin realised the hug, turning to Haruhi with a smile.

"We were childhood friends back when we lived in France."

Haruhi still looked confused, but got the idea.

"Anyway, you two can finish your reunion while I go somewhere else," he said.

He started to walk out, but the small boy grabbed hold of him.

"Hey! Haru-_chan_! Haru-_chan_! Haru-_chan_, you're a hero? Amazing!"

"I'm not a hero, I'm just an honour student. And who are you calling 'Haru-_chan_'?"

The small boy cried from Haruhi's temper as he ran away and over to the tallest boy in the room who held a vacant stare.

"Still, to think that such a fabled erudite student would be gay…" Tamaki muttered to himself.

"Gay?" Haruhi asked.

"What is your preference?"

The very tall boy with black hair turned around, giving a mysterious glance. "The wild type?"

The small boy holding his bunny looked up. "The boy Lolita type?"

The twins linked arms as mischievous smirks appeared on their faces. "The little devil type?"

The boy with glasses smirked as he nodded. "The cool type?"

"I-It's not like that!" Haruhi stuttered out. "We were just looking for a quiet place where I could study."

"Oh please, I'm very interested in this place," Rin said with a smile as she looked around, amazed at how elegant and extravagant the room was.

Haruhi's eyes widened as he stared at her. "You're serious?"

"Or maybe…" Tamaki continued, grabbing hold of Haruhi's chin as he stroked it. "…You'd like to try me? How about it?"

Haruhi stumbled backwards, bumping into something. He turned around in horror and watched as an expensive looking vase fell off the podium in slow motion, shattering to tiny pieces onto the ground.

"Haruhi, what did you do?" she asked as she helped Haruhi regain himself from the initial shock, his mouth still twitching as horrified moans came out of his mouth.

"The Renaissance vase that was to be featured in the school auction!" the twin on the right exclaimed.

"We were going to start the bidding at 8 million yen for that!" the twin on the left announced.

"8 million yen?!" Haruhi screamed. "How many thousand yen is that? How many thousands are in 8 million?" He quickly gave up trying to calculate it as he turned to face the boys. "Um, can I pay you back?"

"Could you even?" the twins asked in unison. "You can't even afford the designated uniform."

"What is that grubby outfit, anyway?" the one on the left asked.

Haruhi's mouth twitched again.

The boy with glasses bent down, picking up one of the shattered pieces with his bare hands. "What will it be, Tamaki?"

"Have you ever heard this saying, Fujioka-_kun_?" Tamaki asked as he pointed at him, sitting down in a red, leather chair. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do! If you have no money, then pay with your body. Starting today, you are the Host Club's dog!"

Haruhi's whole body started turning white as he became like a stone.

_This is too much, Mom, _he thought. _I've been captured by a ridiculous bunch who call themselves a 'Host Club'._

"Haruhi, are you okay?" Rin asked as she waved her hand in front of his face.

All the other boys circled around him, all of them trying to wake Haruhi of his trance, but nothing worked.

"Poke, poke," the small boy said as he poked Haruhi twice in the shoulder. Haruhi's body turned limp as he fell straight down to the ground.

"So, what should we do now?" Tamaki asked, sitting back down in his chair and staring at Haruhi who had fallen on the ground.

"We wait for him to become conscious," the boy with glasses said, adjusting them back up.

…

The Host Club is now open for business

Rin was seated down on the long red couch in the middle of the room, reading her favourite romance novel as she waited for Haruhi to return back from the store. Hosting hours had started and the room was now filled with girls fanning over the different boys, hearts in their eyes as they gave dreamy sighs.

But, Rin had her headphones in, so she wasn't too bothered by it. As she flipped the page, she wondered how long it would take her to actually finish the book. She already had read it ten times, but yet she still couldn't get enough of the story.

A boy. A girl. The two meet in highschool and through much jealousy, hatred and misunderstandings, the two end up falling in love and having their happily ever after. She probably become obsessed with these stories because she wanted one for herself, but she knew that from her past relationships that happy endings weren't things everybody was lucky to get.

Especially not her.

"Ah, Hayashi-_san_," a voice said, his voice louder than the classical music from her music player. She took the headphone from her right ear out, keeping the left in as she wondered if the conversation was important enough or not.

Once she looked up, she tried to keep her calm as she took her bookmark and placed it inside her book to make sure she didn't lose her place.

"What do you want?" she asked, trying to be polite as she could.

"Since you're staying here, you should be introduced to the other members."

She sighed as she placed her book down onto her lap, taking her other headphone out and pausing the music.

"The twins over there are called Hikaru and Kaoru. They use their brotherly love to attract the guests."

She looked over to where he was gesturing and saw the two twins sitting down, their faces close to each other as they whispered into each other's ears, making the girls around them squeal with delight.

"Over there is Honey-_senpai_ and Mori-_senpai_. They're cousins, so Mori-_senpai_ does everything for Honey-_senpai_ and the guests love it."

She saw the short blonde boy sitting with the taller boy who happened to be feeding him big slices of cake. She stared in amazement at how young the smaller boy looked and wondered how he could be her senior.

"I guess you know Tamaki pretty well. He's the king of this place, or prince as he calls himself."

She looked to the left and saw him talking to a bunch of girls who swooned and blushed over everything he said. They were eating his words up like pieces of chocolate.

Speaking of chocolate, now Rin wanted some as she glanced over at the piece of chocolate cake Honey-senpai was devouring.

"No need for the introduction Kyoya," she said. "I already know you all too well. I guess you're the manager instead of being a host. Am I correct?"

He smirked as he adjusted his glasses. "You sure do know your facts. Beginner's luck or personal experience?"

"Bit of both…Never knew you were such a comedian. But while we're here, keep your opinions to yourself and please, don't bother me."

She stuck her headphones back in as she played the music again, grabbing her book and moving away, reopening it as she walked and took a seat down on the next available chair she could find.

She felt her headphones slowly being taken out of her ears, making her glance to both her left and right, and then up to see the twins standing behind the couch, looking down at her face.

"What're you reading?" they asked in unison.

"I don't see how that's really any of your business," she replied as she went back to reading her book, putting the headphones back. She felt the couch dip on both sides and she quickly realised they had jumped over and onto the couch.

The one on the right took her headphone out again and gave her a smirk. "Sour mood, huh?" he asked.

She tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear, as she quickly looked away from his mesmerising hazel eyes. By looking at them for just that second, she knew she could fall deep into those eyes.

"It's got nothing to do with you guys personally. It's just…" She trailed off as she glanced over at Kyoya who was busy typing on his laptop. "Never mind," she said, looking back down at her book, keeping the right headphone out. "It's nothing."

The twins exchanged looks, both knowing there was something wrong with her. The guests quickly took their attention away though once they questioned the strange girl.

"Hikaru-_kun_? Kaoru-_kun_? Who is this?" one of the girls asked.

"Yeah, she didn't even pay!" another said, wondering who she saw.

Rin made sure to keep her head down, not wanting to draw attention to herself. It always brought up bad memories when large crowds stared at her.

"This is Rin," the one on the right said, and assuming since he mostly talked first, he was Hikaru.

"She's new to the school," the one on the left said, so this one must have been Kaoru.

"She's not a guest, she's friends with our errand boy," they spoke in unison.

Rin lifted her head up. "He does have a name. Haruhi Fujioka."

"Don't you mean Fujioka, Haruhi?" the third girl asked, making Rin blush.

"O-Oh, right. I'm still learning the basics," she said as she bent her head back down.

"Aww, she's so cute," one of the girls whispered to her friends.

"The accent's cute too," another whispered. "Is that French?"

Rin gave a nod as she kept her head down.

"Aww, she's adorable," the third girl said, making the twins pout.

"We're here too," they muttered, which made Rin laugh as she went back to reading her book, answering the girl's questions when asked.

…

"So, what's this, then?" Tamaki asked as he held a tin of coffee in his hands, labelled Hescafé.

"Just what it looks like, it's coffee," Haruhi responded as he stood behind the couch, holding a bag of groceries.

"I've never seen this name brand. Is this the kind that's already ground?"

"No, it's instant."

"Instant?" two of Tamaki's guests asked, tilting their heads in unison.

"Oh, commoner's coffee, where you only have to add hot water, right?"

"Ooh, I've heard of this," a girl with long hair said. Most of the girls in the room had now circled around the two couches, each of them wondering what was going on.

"So it's true about poor people not having any free time so they can't even grind their own beans, huh?" another said.

"Commoner's have their wisdom," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up.

"It says that 100g costs 300 yen," Hikaru said.

"That's an incredible price drop," Kaoru said in astonishment.

"I'll go buy something else," Haruhi said, clearly annoyed. "Excuse me for not getting expensive beans."

"No, wait!" Tamaki said, holding his hand up.

Some of the girls gasped as he stood up.

"I'll drink this."

Everyone gasped in shock.

"I'll drink this, all right!"

Both the guests and the hosts applauded as they stared at him in amazement. Haruhi rolled his eyes as Rin closed her book and stood up, walking over to him.

"How are you handling Haruhi?" she asked as she kept her book in her hands.

"I don't know how you handled him for so long," he responded.

Rin shrugged with a smile on her face. "He was more preoccupied with growing up than being a child."

Haruhi glanced at her with widened eyes, wanting to ask many questions, but Tamaki unknowingly interrupted them.

"All right, Haruhi, come over here and make this commoner's coffee."

"You better get going, the prince is calling you," Rin said with a giggle as she went back to reading, heading back to her spot on the twin's chair.

"Oh, Tamaki-_sama_, you carry the joke too far," a girl with long red hair said, an arrogant tone in her voice as she set down her cup filled with tea. "There's no way that such a lowly person's drink will be to your taste."

"Huh?" Haruhi asked.

"Forgive me," the girl said. "I was talking to myself." She gave him a fake smile.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called.

…

"So then, he had this terrible dream, and when he bolted up from it…" Hikaru started with a laugh. The twins had been moved to their official area after the incident with the instant coffee, and now each of them were seated on their own chairs.

Two guests sat in front of the twins, Rin sitting off to the side as she continued to read her book, waiting till she could spend some time with Tamaki to catch up on everything the two of them had missed with their time apart.

"Hikaru! Not that story!" Kaoru cried out, tears filling with eyes. "You're awful, telling that story in front of others."

"Kaoru…"

The two girls moved closer to each other as Hikaru grabbed Kaoru's face, moving closer until they could feel each other's breath on their faces.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru. You were just so cute when it happened, I couldn't help myself."

"Hikaru…"

"Waah! What beautiful brotherly love!" the girls squealed, their faces fully red.

"Why are they crying for joy?" Haruhi asked as he walked past. "I don't understand at all."

Rin quickly stood up, deciding to follow Haruhi as he carried a tray with a tea set on it. "I'm not sure. It's a little…strange, don't you think?" Rin asked and Haruhi nodded.

"I'm sorry, I'm late," Honey-_senpai_ said as he rubbed his eyes tiredly, riding on Mori-_senpai's_ back as they walked into the room.

"Honey-_kun_! Mori-_kun_!" one of the girls squealed.

"We've been waiting this whole time for you!" another said.

"I'm sorry," Honey-_senpai_ said as Mori-_senpai_ let him down onto the ground. "I was waiting for Takashi to get out of his swordsmanship club, but I drifted off to sleep…And I still seem to be sleepy."

"How cute!" the girls squealed.

"Is that boy really a 3rd-Year?" Haruhi asked as the two stood in the middle of the room, watching as Honey-_senpai_ was squealed over by the girls.

"You wouldn't think so, would you?" Rin asked, and Haruhi shook his head.

"Honey-_senpai_ is a prodigy, despite his appearance," Kyoya said as he walked up behind them, a smirk on his face. "And Mori-_senpai's_ draw is his silent disposition."

"Haru-_chan_! Rin-_chan_!" Honey-_senpai_ called as he ran over to them, jumping onto Haruhi's right arm and Rin's left arm as he spun them around. "Haru-_chan_, want to have some cake with me?"

Haruhi almost fell over as the dizziness took over him, but Rin quickly grabbed hold of him to keep him on his feet.

"No, I don't really like sweets…" Haruhi said, feeling a little nauseous from the spinning.

"Well, I'll let you borrow my bunny, Usa-_chan_!"

"No, I'm not up for Usa-_chan_, either."

"You don't like my Usa-_chan_?" He held out the pink bunny close to their faces, and Rin instantly felt guilty when he pouted. Haruhi blushed as he leaned forward, staring down at the bunny.

"I-It is cute, huh?" he stuttered out, taking Honey-_senpai_ by surprise.

_The Third Lightbulb Has Turned On…_

"Don't worry, I'll hold Usa-_chan_ for you," Rin said with a smile. Honey-_senpai_ nodded as a huge smile made its way to his face. He chucked the bunny into the air, letting Rin catch it as his smile grew even wider once she held it like a baby.

"Take good care of it, okay?" he yelled as he skipped away, jumping onto one of the girl's laps.

"Our club's policy is to utilise everyone's individual characteristics to respond to the needs of our guests," Kyoya said. "By the way, around here, Tamaki is number-one, the king. His request rate is 70 percent."

"Wow, that high?" Rin asked as she stared over at Tamaki working his genuine charms on the girls.

"What is the world coming to?" Haruhi muttered to himself.

"By the way, with your 8 million yen debt, you are this club's dog until you graduate – oh, pardon me, errand boy. You're free to run away, but my family employs an able private police force of roughly 100."

He quickly adjusted his glasses. "Do you have a passport?"

"If you don't he'll send you out of Japan," Rin murmured, which made Haruhi groan.

"Yeah, be sure to work hard, 'Dasa-oka'-_kun_," Tamaki said as he breathed onto Haruhi's neck, making him jump in shock as the shiver went up his spine.

Dasa = uncool, lame, unfashionable

"Please don't do that," Haruhi said as he touched his neck.

"You're not going to get any girls, as dishevelled as you look."

"I'm not interested in getting any in the first place."

"What are you talking about? This is important." Tamaki pulled out a red rose. "Becoming a fine man, and pleasing the ladies, is everything."

"It doesn't matter either way, does it?" Haruhi asked. "Men, women, appearances, and such? What's important as a person is what's on the inside, right? I can't understand why this kind of club even exists."

"It's such a cruel thing, isn't it? Once in a while, God creates the perfect person, both inside and out."

"Excuse me?" Rin asked.

"I understand how you must feel, wanting to console yourself like that. Otherwise, you couldn't go on living, huh? But think hard about it. Why do they put museum pieces in museums? Yes, it is the duty of those who were born beautiful to show off beautiful things. Which is the reason why I started this club, for the sake of those who are starved for beauty and work unsparingly, day and night, in the pursuit of beauty."

"When did he become this delusional?" Rin whispered to herself as she hugged Usa-_chan_ closer to her chest, loving how small and cute the plushie was.

"With your looks, they may be needless skills, but as long as I have the opportunity, I shall share a portion of my magnificent expertise with you."

The twins stopped walking as they stopped to watch the show.

"When placing your glass down, be sure to extend your pinky finger first, as a cushion." He did the example down onto the table, making Rin shake her head. "That makes it more difficult to raise a clatter, and easier to clasp it where you have set it. It looks more refined that way, doesn't it? Fine men do not make any uncouth sounds. I also like to look at my reflection in the glass."

"And why am I not surprised?" Rin asked, but Tamaki continued on with his speech. He walked over to Haruhi, his hand in his blazer pocket.

"Also, the most important thing to remember…is how effective looking up at an angle is."

"_Oh, I got it_!" Haruhi said, slamming his fist down onto his palm.

"Did I strike a chord?"

"Obnoxious."

Tamaki's whole body paled as he gasped, huddling in a corner as the depression set into his being, everything seeming dark around him as the rose petals fell down from the roses placed on the counter.

"Um…Tamaki-_senpai_?" Haruhi asked, confused as to what had just happened.

The twins slid over with a laugh, placing their hands on the top of his head.

"You're a hero, all right!" Hikaru said while Kaoru continued to laugh.

"I'm sorry. It really did strike a small chord with me," Haruhi said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Tamaki stood back up, returning back to normal as he turned with a smirk. "I see, I see! Then allow me to share yet another skill with you!"

"He gets over things quickly," Haruhi mumbled.

"He was always like that," Rin commented.

"Sir…" Kaoru started.

"Call me 'King'!" Tamaki exclaimed, wiggling his fingers.

"You can teach the basics of hosting as much as you want…" Kaoru said.

"…But in his case, he hasn't even passed the first, most basic visual test," Hikaru finished. He walked around to the front of Haruhi. "Now, with someone of his type, even if you take off his glasses, his eyes just look that much smaller…" He removed Haruhi's glasses, only for him and Kaoru to stare in shock at the discovery they made.

"Hey, now!" Haruhi exclaimed, moving his hands around to try and see. "I lost my contacts the day of the school's opening ceremony."

Tamaki pushed the twins out of the way as he caught a glance at Haruhi, clicking his fingers as an idea popped into his head.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" he called.

"Yes, sir!" they said as they saluted, grabbing hold of Haruhi's arms as they dragged him out of the room.

"Kyoya, contact the hair designer!"

Kyoya quickly started dialling the numbers on his cell phone.

"Mori-_senpai_, to the doctor, to arrange the contact lenses!"

Mori-_senpai_ quickly took off into a run as he headed out the door.

"Tama-_chan_, what about me?" Honey-_senpai_ asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Honey-_senpai_…"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Please go have some cake."

Honey-senpai sat down gloomily at the table with Usa-_chan_ by his side, a piece of cake in front of him. "You know what? Everyone else said they were too busy," he pouted.

Rin smiled as she walked over, taking a slice of cake and placing it down on one of the plates of fine china. She pulled up a chair and sat down beside him, grabbing a spare fork.

"I'm not busy, Honey-_senpai_," she said as she took a bite of her favourite cake, strawberry cake with white icing and strawberries on top.

"Yes!" he cheered as he grabbed his bunny and hugged it tight, taking a big bite of the cake as he grinned.

"_Here! Change into this!" _she heard the twins say from the other room.

"_What? What!"_

"_Don't ask any questions!"_

"_No way! All right, I'll change, but you two have to get out!"_

"_Whoa-oa-oa-oa…" _the twins exclaimed as they were kicked out of the changing room, stumbling as they landed on the ground. They looked at each other, the confusion clearly written on their faces.

_The Fourth and Fifth Lightbulbs Have Turned On…_

…

The sun had started to set as the grand, clock tower read: 5:25

"Um, _Senpai_?" Haruhi asked from behind the curtain.

"Oh, are you done changing?" Tamaki asked.

The curtain finally opened and revealed Haruhi, wearing the male Ouran uniform, his hair neatly styled and the glasses gone as the contacts took its place.

"I can really keep this uniform?" Haruhi asked.

"How adorable!" Tamaki said, blushing as tears poured down his cheeks. "You almost look like a girl, don't you?"

Complete uniform: 300,000 yen

"Haru-_chan_, how cute!" Honey-_senpai_ exclaimed.

"If that's how you really look…" Hikaru started.

"…You should have said so sooner," Kaoru finished.

"Might even be able to draw some customers like that," Kyoya said.

"Yes! It's all just as I figured!" Tamaki said.

Bullcrap…

"The errand boy has graduated! Starting today, you are an official member of the Host Club! I will train you to be a first-rate host. If you can get 100 customers to request you, we will forgive your 8 million yen debt."

"A host?" Haruhi asked, in shock.

Tamaki nodded, a smirk on his face as he turned his attention to Rin, who had been sitting all that time on the same chair, reading her book. Tamaki clicked his fingers, pointing over to the twins.

"Yes sir!" they said as they headed over to her. One took the book out of her hands, the other lifting her off the chair and placing her in front of Tamaki.

"Why did you do that? I was in the middle of reading that!" Rin said as she pouted, her eyebrows narrowing at Tamaki and the two twins who just shrugged.

"I have a job for you, Rin-_chan_," he said with a smile. "You can be our waitress."

"A waitress? Why? What did I do?"

"It would be the perfect way for us to reconnect," he said as he grabbed hold of her shoulder. "Not only as friends, but as father and daughter."

"Excuse me?!"

* * *

Rin took the bag that had been handed to her, not knowing what lied inside the bag. All she was told was that it was her new uniform that she would wear while she worked at the Host Club. She took it to the bathroom and opened it, revealing the uniform that she immediately hated.

But, she knew there was no getting out of it. She had agreed to so she could hang around Tamaki a little more.

She put the uniform on as she stared at herself in the mirror. Thanks to Tamaki, she was now stuck wearing a short, black dress with a white apron over the top with frills at the ends. She had on knee-high socks and black buckled shoes, completing the look with a black ribbon tying up her high ponytail.

She closed the bathroom door behind her as she walked down the hallways, hating the attention she was getting from the boys as they stared at her with their jaws open. She wanted to go and hide in the corner as they started whispering to their friends and some girls giving her dirty looks while others stared in awe.

She quickly started running down the halls, needing to get away from their eyes. She opened the doors to the Host Club and closed the door behind her, glaring at Tamaki as she entered. His attention quickly changed from the girl beside him to her, and he smiled as he waved her over.

"Tamaki, are you serious with this?" she asked as she gestured to the dress.

"It was the only one I could find. All the appropriate ones were taken. But, now people can see how cute my darling daughter is!"

"In a short maid outfit. Tamaki, I don't like this kind of attention," she whispered as she held her arms, covering her body as much as she could.

"Ahem," the girl beside him grunted, gaining Tamaki's attention.

"Oh, I'm so sorry princess. We'll discuss this later, Rin-_chan_, alright?"

Rin sighed as she walked away, quickly heading to the kitchen. She took deep breaths as she grabbed hold of the trays covered in cakes and tea cups, before heading back out to the Host Club.

…

Haruhi is also now open for business

"Haruhi-_kun_…"

"Haruhi-_kun_, what hobbies do you have?" a girl with short, brown hair asked.

"Do you do anything special to your skin?" one with long brown hair asked.

"It's terribly pretty," one with medium black hair said.

_I-I can't do this…_ Haruhi thought. _I have no idea what I should be doing._

"Haruhi-_kun_, why did you join this club?" they all asked.

_That's right, once I get 100 customers to request me, they'll forgive my 8 million yen debt. I have just the story._

Tamaki peered over the edge of the couch, watching as Haruhi told his story.

"I see, your mother passed away ten years ago, after being sick?" a girl asked. "So, who does the domestic chores?"

"Oh, I do those by myself," Haruhi said. "My mother was good at cooking, and she left me lots of recipes when she was in the hospital. Learning each one of them is fun to do, and on days when they turn out well, my father is delighted, too. Those are the times that I really like."

The hearts above the three girls were visible to everyone as they blushed from Haruhi's sad but beautiful story.

"Um…"

"Tomorrow, could we…"

"…Request you once again?"

"Oh, I would appreciate that," Haruhi said with a smile.

"He's popular, right from the start," Tamaki said.

"A real natural," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses.

"No help needed," the twins said in unison.

"Tamaki-_sama_…" the girl beside him with long red hair whined, wanting his attention back.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my princess," Tamaki said, regaining his composure. "I'm just a little concerned about my boy."

Rin placed down the cups of tea onto the table and some sweets for Tamaki's other guests to eat. They thanked her as they took sips from their tea.

"You seem to be keeping an eye on that one quite a bit," she continued, the arrogant tone filling her voice again.

"Today is his first day on the job," Rin informed her as she cleaned the plate off her side of the table. "So he has to keep an eye on him."

"Yes, that's because I'm raising him like he was my own," Tamaki said with a smile. He clicked his fingers. "Haruhi! Come here for a minute."

Haruhi excused himself from his guests as he made his way over to Tamaki. "Yes?" he asked.

"Say hello. This is my regular guest, Princess Ayanokoji."

The girl gave a smirk, loving the attention she was receiving from him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ayanokoji-_san_," Rin said as she bowed, hoping to make a good impression at the school, regardless of what she might have thought about the girl's character.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Haruhi said with a smile.

Tamaki's face turned red as he grabbed hold of Haruhi and pulled him close, spinning him around in a circle. "That was so cute, Haruhi! The air of bashfulness was good, good, very good!"

"T-Tamaki-_sama_…" the girl said.

"M-Mori-_senpai_!" Haruhi shouted.

"I'm not letting you go!" Tamaki said.

"Help!" Haruhi screamed.

Mori-senpai rushed over and grabbed Haruhi as he pulled him out of Tamaki's strong grip, his eyes widening.

_The Sixth Lightbulb Has Turned On…_

"Mori-_senpai_, you didn't have to go _that_ far," Tamaki said. "Come on, come back next to Daddy's heart!"

"I don't need two fathers."

"Excuse me Ayanokoji-_san_," Rin said, taking Ayanokoji's attention away from the scene. "Would you like some more tea?"

"No, thank you. I think I've lost my appetite looking at that," she said as she moved the piece of cake away from her.

Rin tilted her head. "Looking at what?"

"Don't you see? Tamaki hanging around that commoner. Doesn't he knew that he's nothing like us?"

"I'm sure that has nothing to do with your lack of appetite Ayanokoji-_san_. Maybe it's something else."

Ayanokoji thought for a moment before she nodded.

"It might also have something to do with that dress."

"Oh yes, I don't like it much either. It's a bit short for me…"

"It just screams, boy toy," she said, making Rin go silent.

"Oh, um, well then…Call if you need anything."

She quickly walked off, feeling embarrassed and degraded as she entered the kitchen. Ayanokoji as some of the hosts stared as she walked past, making her shake her head in disgust.

"So Tamaki, who's that young girl working as your maid? Commoner too?"

Tamaki turned back to face her. "Oh no, she's quite wealthy. She's Rin Hayashi-Bellerose, daughter to a well-known cosmetics designer and famous actor. We lived in the same street in France when we were little."

She watched as Rin returned from the kitchen as she headed over to the twins table to clean up the plates, cutlery and any crumbs or spillage.

"We haven't seen each other in years," Tamaki continued. "I thought it'd be good to reconnect after so long."

"Oh really? How interesting," she said as she took a sip of her tea.

…

"Huh? My bag is gone," Haruhi said. "Rin, have you seen it?"

She shook her head. "No, have you seen mine? I'm pretty sure we both left our bags out in the club room though."

Haruhi looked out the window and sighed. "Aw, man…I didn't think there was any bullying at this school, but sure enough…"

"They follow you everywhere," Rin muttered to herself. Haruhi was sure that the bag in the pond was his and quickly stared running down the halls.

She walked behind, searching for her bag at every spot she could, but came up with nothing. She didn't want Haruhi to worry about hers.

"Oh, it's you," Ayanokoji said as she stood in the middle of the hallway. Haruhi stopped running. "How nice for you, to have Tamaki-_sama_ tidy you up. While you're at it, why don't you correct your poor upbringing?"

And then she left. As she ran down the halls, she bumped into Rin's shoulder and almost knocked her over. As she walked up to Haruhi, she placed a hand on his shoulder as she noticed something wrong.

"What was all that about?" she asked.

Haruhi shook his head. "Never mind. You go search for your bag. I'll go get mine."

"Haruhi…"

But he had already started running down the hallway and out the door to the pond.

She sighed as she walked back to the Third Music Room, searching everywhere for her bag that seemed almost impossible to find. The last she needed to look was the kitchen. She opened the door and gasped at what she saw.

The floor, benches, the walls were all covered in flour. There was a single piece of paper lying in the middle of the flour covered table, her bag shoved inside a bowl. She took out bag, emptying everything inside and placing the bag in the sink as she let the water clean off the flour.

"Since you like spending so much time in the kitchen, you won't mind that I've done a little redecorating. Don't try and get close to Tamaki.

Learn your place, boy toy."

Rin scrunched the note up, chucking it across the room in anger as she looked at all the contents of her bag that were now on the floor. She picked up her diary and noticed pages missing, some ripped out and others covered in tea.

She felt like crying, but she held it in, knowing she shouldn't cry over something this trivial. She scrubbed her bag of all the flour, along with her romance books and textbooks.

She looked around the room as she sank down to the floor, not caring at that moment if her 'uniform' got covered with flour. She held her head in her hands, wondering what she was going to do.

It followed her everywhere, just like a curse…

"What happened in here? Did a bomb go off?" a voice asked. She knew it was one of the twins who had entered the kitchen, but she couldn't be bothered lifting her head to find out who.

"The note says it all," she said as she pointed to where she assumed the scrunched up piece of paper was on the ground. She heard him unscrunch it as he read it over. Not only a second later did he scrunch it back up and chuck it in the bin.

"Who does something like this?" he asked.

"I thought you guys loved pulling pranks," she said.

"Harmless ones on the boss, nothing like this. It's not even funny."

She felt him sit down beside her as he tapped her on the shoulder, trying to get her to lift her head up.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I will be, eventually," she replied.

"But what about right now?"

She shook her head. "Of course not."

"Well sulking's not gonna help. We need to clean this up."

She lifted her head. "We?"

"Tamaki would kill me if he knew I let a lady clean up someone else's mess by herself, especially you."

"You wouldn't want your hosting career to end, would you?" she asked, a smile slowly making its way to her face.

"You should smile more often, it looks better on you than a fake one," he said as he got a rag and started scrubbing up one of the benches. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Are you going to help me or not?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts. She nodded and stood up, catching the tea towel he chucked at her.

"Thank you, Hikaru," she said as she gave his arm a hug in gratitude.

"H-How did you know I was Hikaru?" he asked.

"I can just tell."

"Am I interrupting something?" Kaoru asked as he walked into the room.

"Cleaning," she said as she removed her hands off of Hikaru.

Kaoru noticed all of the flour surrounding the room, then back at the two of them. "What happened in here?"

"All will be explained later," Hikaru said as he chucked Kaoru a towel. "Now hurry up and get cleaning."

…

"I see. That must have been terrible, huh?" Ayanokoji asked smugly, taking a sip of tea. "Having your bag fall into the pond all on its own…Although, to make Tamaki-_sama_ go to all the trouble of picking up your grimy bag for you, you really don't know your own place, do you?"

Rin glared from the twin's table, feeling the anger rise in her body. Hikaru poked her twice in the arm, shaking his head at her.

"Tamaki-_sama_ is only paying you any attention because your upbringing was so unusual. And he's only paying attention to Rin because she looks good in a short dress. Don't go getting any ideas as to why he's doting on you or her."

"So what you mean is…you're jealous?" Haruhi asked.

Ayanokoji stood up, making Rin ran forward and stand in front of Haruhi to avoid her lunge. She pushed Rin to the side as she rolled on the ground. She then lunged for Haruhi, but Rin kicked her leg making them both fall to the ground, Haruhi landing on top of Ayanokoji by accident.

The table turned over as she and Rin screamed as the tea cups smashed onto the floor, sending the pieces scattered across the ground. The tea split all over the floor and the rose petals flew off the flower.

"Haruhi-_kun_…Haruhi-_kun_ suddenly attacked me! Somebody, quick! Deal with this commoner!"

Then, the room fell silent as two pots of water were poured down on top of Haruhi and Ayanokoji, confusing both of them. Rin gasped as she moved away, noticing Mori-_senpai_ holding his hand out for her. She took it, giving him a nod as thanks.

"What are you doing?" Ayanokoji asked.

Tamaki pulled her up to her feet, moving some hair out of her eyes. "Tamaki-_sama_, Haruhi-_kun_ assaulted me."

"How disgraceful," Tamaki said. "You're the one who threw Haruhi's bag in the pond, aren't you? And the one who covered Rin's bag and the kitchen in flour?"

"How can you say that? Do you have any proof?"

"You really are quite pretty, but you are not fit to be our guest. I know this much – Haruhi is not that kind of man."

"T-Tamaki-_sama_, you idiot!" she screamed as she ran out of the Host Club, sobbing.

"I'm going to decide your punishment for causing this trouble," he said, addressing Haruhi. "Your quota is increased to 1000 yen!"

_1000 yen? _Haruhi thought in distress.

"Here," he said, holding out his hand. "I'm expecting much from you, natural rookie." He winked, making Haruhi confused.

"This is the only spare uniform we have," Kyoya said as he held up a red bag. "It's still better than that wet one, though, right?"

"Thank you very much," Haruhi said.

…

"Haruhi, here…" Tamaki said as he opened the curtain to the changing room. "Some towels…"

He stopped though once he noticed Haruhi standing there with his white shirt unbuttoned, a pink singlet underneath. Tamaki, in shock, let the curtain shut as he just stared in front of him.

_The Seventh Lightbulb Has Turned On…Finally…_

"Haruhi…"

"Yes?"

"You're a girl?"

"Biologically, yes."

She opened the curtain and revealed herself wearing the Ouran girl's uniform, making Tamaki scream out in shock, anger and desperation.

"_Senpai_, if you all think of me as a boy, then that's okay with me, too. My feeling is…that any awareness of being a boy or a girl falls lower than that of being a person."

"This is quite an interesting development," Kyoya said.

"It sure is," the twins said.

"Still, _Senpai_, you were kind of cool earlier."

Tamaki gasped, his face quickly turning red as he started sweating.

"Could this possibly be the beginnings of love?"

"_Can you see her?" _someone whispered.

"_She's so cute!"_

"_Look at her in the maid outfit!"_

"_Move, I have to see."_

Everyone turned towards the slightly opened door, seeing three pairs of eyes staring through. Kyoya glared as he walked over, opening it fully as the three men fell down to the ground in shock.

"Can you help you gentlemen?" he asked, the annoyance clear in his voice though his face remained blank.

The boys looked at each other, blush on their cheeks at the realisation that they'd been caught. "We just wanted to see her," one of them said, pointing over at Rin who quickly looked away in embarrassment.

Kyoya smirked as he left them lying there, walking back over to the Hosts.

"What's your idea, Kyoya?" Tamaki asked.

"The men over there are here to see Hayashi-_san_," he said. "If they're so eager and interested, they wouldn't mind _paying_ us to see her, now would they?"

Tamaki nodded, catching on. "Good idea," he said. "From now on, the Host Club will be co-ed! Our foreign princess is now an official member of the Host Club?"

"Huh?" Rin asked.

"You three men can come and see her tomorrow at the Host Club. Tell your friends, you won't be disappointed," he said with a smile. The three boys quickly nodded as they ran off with smiles on their faces, yelling at all the boys in the halls about the great news.

"Do I get a say in this at all?" Rin asked.

"You know, being a host, and getting fussed over by girls might not be all that bad. I know! From now on, I'll start using 'ore'," Haruhi said as she laughed.

Rin sighed as she glanced over at the Host members. "I better be getting paid for this…"

* * *

Tamaki: Don't get too full of yourself, just because you're popular. If you're going to be a host…

Haruhi: Oh, another customer has requested me.

Tamaki: Don't go taking my customers!

Haruhi: Next time, "_The Job of a High School Host_".

Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO:**

"Falling In Love – The Ouran Spring Dance"

{Episode Two - The Job of a Highschool Host}

* * *

Rin sighed as she exited the library, packing up her books and placing them into her school bag. She had her classical music playing through her headphones as she walked down the now familiar halls of Ouran, noticing the time written on her golden watch.

Students stared as she walked down the halls, but she wasn't as nervous as before. She had gotten used to them after having to serve the males in the Host Club, and news of a female host had spread fast among the girls.

She stood in front of the doors, slipping her hand around the handle before she turned it, opening the pink doors. The room was decorated with authentic palm trees and animals, such as chameleons, toucans, butterflies and even a live snake.

And even though she had been hosting for about two months or so now, she still could never get used to their strange costume ideas.

She looked over to the centre of the room and saw the regular six guys, expect they were shirtless. She wouldn't deny that she normally she loved to see six shirtless guys standing there, waiting for her, but their personalities got in the way of that sometimes.

Especially with these ones.

"Rin-_chan_! You're here!" Tamaki called, his cheery mood bursting through. "Can you come over here for a minute?"

She placed her bag down near the front of the door as she walked over to the jumping Tamaki. "Why are you dressed so…undressed?" she asked, making sure she never made eye contact with a certain red haired twin.

Kyoya smirked, the smug look on his face nothing unusual. "It's the theme for today. Couldn't you tell?"

"I do have eyes genius. Some of us don't need help with being able to see," she said as she gave him a glare before she quickly went back to her normal self she portrayed to the others. He'd probably write something about her in his little black book now.

Oh well.

"Let me guess, I've got an outfit too?" she asked, and she already knew the answer once the twins gave their mischievous smirks, holding up her outfit. A short, wavy dress with silver heels. The top half of the dress was a white colour and the bottom half was a light blue with a floral pattern.

She glanced at the outfit in awe, almost amazed that they could make sure beautiful costumes for women. She quickly grabbed hold of it as she went into the changing room, straightening her dress out as she slipped it on. She quickly adjusted her hair before she headed back out, noticing that everyone in the room had gone dead silent as they stared at the door.

She knew why once she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer. Tamaki got everyone into position like they had rehearsed it a million times, which was probably true in Tamaki's case. The door then opened, the bright light shining through as the red rose petals flew in the air.

"Welcome," they said in unison, which Rin always found weird as there was no verbal que from any of them. It was like they all could read each other's minds.

But all that trouble was useless once they noticed that the person who had entered the room wasn't a guest, but Haruhi Fujioka.

_When I opened the door, there were the south tropics._

"Oh, it's you, Haruhi. You're late," the twins commented as a toucan landed straight onto Haruhi's head.

"According to my calendar, this is definitely still early April," Haruhi said, pulling out her mini-calendar from inside her blazer pocket.

"Huddling under a _kotatsu_ table, fearing the cold would be nonsense!" Tamaki exclaimed, prancing over to Haruhi with his designer fan. "Why else do we have this perfect heating and cooling system?"

"Do you have some sort of criticism of our club's policies?" Kyoya asked. "Haruhi-_kun_, you owe us a debt of 8 million yen."

Haruhi gasped as she remembered the vase that she had smashed on her third day at Ouran and now she was stuck trying to pay off a debt which she couldn't afford.

"Fine men do not bundle up in bulky clothing," Tamaki continued. "It may be chilling early spring out in the world, but in our club, we welcome our chilly little kittens to a warm, south tropical aura! Yes! Today, this place is a supreme paradise, a hot, hot island of everlasting summer!"

"I, on the other hand, feel a chill in every sense of the word," Haruhi groaned.

…

"_Those with the wherewithal-first, in social standing, and second, with money – spend their time here, at the private Ouran Academy. As such, Ouran Host Club is where the handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain and charm the girls who also have too much time on their hands. _

_It is the school's own personal, elegant playground for the super-rich."_

…

The Host Club is now open for business

As Rin walked over to her table, she noticed three men sitting down already as they waited for her to come and entertain them. She gave them a heart-warming smile, and two of them blushed.

"Nice to see you too," she said with a giggle as she sat down in the middle, them being too smittened to have any coherent thought. "So, anything interesting happen? Something exciting?"

"Nothing yet," the third guest said with a smirk. "But the day's not over yet."

She tried to hide the temptation to roll her eyes. He had requested her about seven times now, and each time he just became more perverted and flirty which made her very uncomfortable. A lot of girls had warned her about him and how he'd flirted with every cute girl in the school. And since she was on display like this, she was his new target.

He leaned a little closer, making her feel very small under his lustful gaze. She knew the other two boys were staring at him in anger, not from jealousy, but from making her feel uneasy.

She turned her head away from him, meeting with someone's angered eyes as he stared over at the guy in front of her. Hikaru. Kaoru stared at his brother, wondering what was going on with him, which made her cheeks burn as she quickly turned away from his gaze.

_Keep it together, Rin. You're stronger than this._

"Is that for me?" the boy asked, noticing her red cheeks.

"Could you please move back a little? You're making me very uncomfortable," she replied, looking down at the table instead of him.

"But you're supposed to _entertain_ me. You're not doing your job too well then, huh?"

Oh god, how she hated this guy with a burning passion. Tamaki had issued a rule in regards to the boys, and that was none of them could touch her or get too close to her without her permission. If violated, those rules would take effect and they would be escorted out of the Host Club.

Clearly this guy never followed the rules.

"Hey, leave her alone," one of her guests said.

"It's obvious that she doesn't want you here, so back off."

The other boy rolled his eyes, slowly leaning back. He stood up, sliding his chair against the ground as he did so. "Call me when you get bored. Maybe I'll give you some entertainment instead." He gave her a wink as he tossed her a piece of paper before he walked out of the room.

She looked down and written on the piece of paper was his phone number and his address. She shredded up the paper as she tossed the pieces like confetti into the air and away from her.

She turned back to the two boys, a thankful smile on her face. "Thank you, I was worried he was going to do something there for a second."

"Anyone else would do the same," one of them muttered, embarrassed, which only made her laugh.

"No, they wouldn't. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Hayashi-Bellerose Rin, High School 1st-Year

The two blushed as they watched her smile increase till it reached her eyes, her cheeks naturally turning red. As she heard footsteps behind her, the smile quickly faded as she thought the guy had returned.

Instead, it was just Kyoya.

"Hayashi-_san_, it's your turn to serve the guests."

She of course didn't miss the smile that came across Hikaru's face when he noticed that guy had gone, which made her cheeks burn again.

…

Rin sighed as she looked around the room, not being able to get the image of that guy out of her head. If those guys hadn't stepped in when they had, who knows what could have happened before? And that guy had never made that much of a move on her before. She wondered what was so different about today that made him act differently.

She felt a poke on her shoulder and turned to see Haruhi handing her a tropical drink, noticing her worried glances around the room. Rin took it out of her hands and chugged the whole thing in one shot, almost like it was alcohol.

"Remind me to never give you a drink," Haruhi said as she took the empty glass away from Rin's grasp. "What's up with you?"

"Didn't you see that guy that gave me his number and his address? And he was getting way too close for my liking."

Haruhi nodded. "What a sleeze. I thought Hikaru was going to over there and solve it himself."

Rin glanced over at Hikaru, noticing how happy he looked as he talked to his brother. She noticed his glance move to hers, and the two made brief eye contact before they both looked back to what they were supposed to be doing.

"Didn't you lose a customer once?" Rin asked, changing the subject.

Haruhi gulped as her face paled as the memory came back. One of the customers walked out after seeing Rin have a conversation with Haruhi and she was pretty jealous of her. Kyoya was very annoyed with Haruhi for not paying attention to her enough, but he was only saying that because he wanted to earn the money from the customers.

And because it had happened so suddenly, Tamaki had come in and saved her, saying it was a one-time thing since she was a rookie. But if you asked Haruhi, she would tell you a different version of that story.

Kyoya had informed all of Rin's guests that she wouldn't be available for half an hour as she would be serving, but they were free to sit around and watch her if they wanted. The female guests seemed to like another female serving them tea and cakes instead of a male, though she had no idea why that would have been, considering they were all over the males here.

But if it meant more popularity, it was necessary in Kyoya's eyes.

"Tamaki's table needs cleaning," Rin said as she grabbed her tray and started to walk over, noticing Haruhi following close behind.

"What heartlessness!" Tamaki exclaimed. "Even with my lustrous skin, like ivory, and my outfit, like that of a Balinese King, all too fitting for me, I am no more than a slave before my goddess, kneeling, and swearing my loyalty."

Suou Tamaki, High School 2nd-Year

"Tamaki-_kun_…"

"Tamaki-_sama_…"

"Fantastic!"

"Oh yes, next week, Ouran Host Club will be sponsoring a dance party."

"A dance party?" Haruhi asked as they walked away from his table.

"Haven't you heard? Tamaki's been talking about it for the past week now so much I'd thought my ears would bleed."

"I just tune him out most of the time."

"What will you be doing at this dance party?" one of the twins' guest asked.

"We're renting the large hall in the central building…" Hikaru started.

Hitachiin Hikaru, High School 1st-Year

"…And throwing a big main event there," Kaoru finished.

Hitachiin Kaoru, High School 1st-Year

"Although, I really wanted to spend the time alone with you, Kaoru."

"Don't say that, Hikaru. _I'm_ the one who really wanted it…"

"Fantastic!" the girls squealed.

"Brotherly love, with a south tropical flavour!"

"The guests seem even more worked-up than usual, huh?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah, I know, even the guys were affected," Rin said.

"A little moderate exposure is popular," Kyoya said, writing something down in his book.

"Did you come up with this tropical project, Kyoya-_senpai_?"

"I have no decision-making authority. This club's policies are all laid out by the King, Tamaki. Although, I may have found it worth the effort to casually slip a photo book of Bali onto his desk."

Otori Kyoya, High School 2nd-Year

"So you really did influence this theme," Rin muttered, but Kyoya didn't reply. He didn't need to as they already knew the answer.

"Ta-da!" Honey-_senpai_ exclaimed as he bounced over to his guests, a red flower necklace around his neck.

"Honey-_kun_, you're so cute!" his guests squealed.

"Hee hee, these are Balinese flowers. We had them flown in." He noticed Mori-_senpai_ walking over, holding a pineapple in his hands. "Ah, Takashi!" He climbed up Mori-_senpai_'s body until he reached his neck, wrapping another red flower necklace around his neck. "Look! Now we match!"

Morinozuka Takashi, ('Mori' for short) High School 3rd-Year

Haninozuka Mitsukuni, ('Honey' for short) Highschool 3rd-Year

"You're all in camellias!" one exclaimed as the other fainted.

Haruhi sat down to entertain her guests as Rin set up the table for her and the three girls who had been patiently waiting for Haruhi.

"Haruhi-_kun_…"

"Haruhi-_kun,_ aren't you going to wear a south tropical outfit?"

"I'd sure like to see that."

"Oh Rin, you're dress is amazing! Where did you get it?" one of the girls asked as they sipped on their drink, staring in awe at the dress.

"I'm not sure, it was just given to me," she replied as she handed the third girl her drink.

"Lucky…"

"No, I…I just think that it's natural to wear an early-spring outfit during early spring," Haruhi said nervously.

"He's a very traditional man, ladies," Rin said with a smile.

"Haruhi, we have one ready for you," Tamaki said. "What's more, it's paired with mine."

"No thank you."

"Haruhi-_kun_, you have a strong sense of the seasons, huh?" one of the guests asked.

"Then I hope that the cherry blossoms are in full bloom for the dance party."

"The two of us, dancing among the fluttering cherry blossoms…"

"It's so dreamy!" they all chorused.

"You really think so? Ladies, you're so cute to have such dreams," Haruhi said.

Fujioka Haruhi, High School 1st-Year

The girls blushed as they smiled in amazement.

Haruhi = the Host Club's promising natural rookie

"Excuse me…I believe that it's just about time for designee changes," a girl said as she approached the table, standing beside Rin as she stared down at Haruhi.

"You'd be correct," Rin said with a nod, making the girl smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be my next appointment, Miss…" Haruhi trailed off.

"Kasugazaki Kanako, 2nd-Year Class B. You're even cuter than the rumours." She placed a hand on Haruhi's chin, tilting it up so their eyes met. "I've made up my mind. I'm going to make you my new favourite."

Tamaki gasped in horror as his whole body went white.

…

The sun had set over Ouran as Tamaki sat gloomily near the window, slurping on the ramen that Haruhi had purchased. "I can't accept this," he grumbled.

"Tamaki, can you stop slurping on those noodles?" Rin asked politely as she sat down on one of the chairs beside the twins, who remained standing. He didn't answer as he continued to stare out the window depressed.

"Sir, stop eating that commoner's ramen and come help us with the dance party planning," Hikaru called.

"Is Princess Kasuga talking a liking to Haruhi really bothering you that much?" Kaoru asked.

"Her illness isn't something that just started, right?" Kyoya asked, typing away on his pineapple computer.

"Illness?" Haruhi asked.

"What kind of illness?" Rin asked.

"Wandering host-hopping disease," Hikaru said.

"Otherwise known as never-the-same-boy-twice disease," Kaoru clarified.

"Usually, our regular customers designate the same host in perpetuity, but she tends to change her favourite on a regular basis," Kyoya informed.

"Up until last time, she was with Tama-_chan_, right?" Honey-_senpai_ said as he held onto his pink bunny.

The pair in days gone by (one week ago)

"Jealously?" Rin asked.

"Ah, this is because he had his guest taken from him?" Haruhi asked.

"It is not! That's not why!" Tamaki screamed as he rushed over, slamming his hands on the table. "I'm at the limits of my patience! Haruhi, start dressing like a girl! Just like Rin does!"

Haruhi looked down at Rin's outfit which she had changed from her school uniform into a grey, short-sleeved crop top, black leggings and a black and red checkered jumper wrapped around her waist.

Rin dressed too girly and revealing for Haruhi's tastes.

"Why do you have to be so, woefully popular with the girls, when you yourself are a girl!? To put it bluntly, the only ones who know that you're a girl are in this club!"

"She's opted out of taking any gym classes," Hikaru said.

"Attendance numbers are mixed between boys and girls, so no one can tell."

"What did you say about my clothing?" Rin asked.

He, of course, ignored her as he pulled out a giant chest from…out of pretty much nowhere and started rummaging through it, looking for something.

"Daddy…Daddy…wants to see you the way you were back then!" he cried as he pulled out a giant, framed picture of Haruhi's student I.D picture where she had long hair and her middle school uniform on.

"Please don't go blowing up my photos without asking me!" Haruhi screamed.

The framed picture was now hanging on the wall for everyone to see, Tamaki sobbing as he crouched down in front of it.

"The more I look at this, the more I marvel at it," Hikaru said. "How is it that _this_ can become _that_?"

"Shh, don't be so rude," Rin whispered as she nudged him. He just gave her a smirk in response, knowing that when someone told him to do something, he'd do the complete opposite, just like his brother.

"The day before the entrance ceremonies, I had some gum stuck in my hair from one of the children in the neighbourhood," Haruhi explained. "It was such a pain to get out that I cut it off. _Ore_ didn't care really if I looked like a boy."

Ore = I

"Wouldn't have guessed that," Rin muttered, making Hikaru smirk.

"And you tell me to be nice," Hikaru whispered into her ear, making her shiver.

"Girls should not be referring to themselves as '_ore_'!" Tamaki screamed. "Mommy! Haruhi is using dirty words!" He pulled out a handkerchief and started sobbing into it as he crumpled down to the floor.

"Who's 'Mommy'?" Kaoru asked.

"From a club position standpoint, I guess I am," Kyoya said with a sigh.

"Well after all, I can pay back more of my debt before I graduate by being a designated host, than I can as an errand boy," Haruhi said.

"By the way, do you have any experience in social dancing?" Hikaru asked. "It's essential for the party."

"Huh? No, but the party has nothing to do with my quota, right? I'm not all that interested in going to events, so if I could be excused…"

Tamaki's eyes glinted yellow as he thought of an evil idea, making Haruhi already hate it as she knew she would regret doing it.

"No, social dances are a common practice for gentleman," Tamaki said. "If you want to walk the path of the host that badly, then you have to show us how far you're willing to go, Haruhi-_kun_. If you cannot master the waltz in one week and demonstrate it to us at next week's party, then I will expose the fact that you are a girl, and bust you back down to errand boy!"

Debtor student

"Rin, you're going to be a guest at this party as most of the males won't be interested in a dance, so you must learn the waltz as well."

"Why do you say that? How do you know that I don't know how to dance?"

"That sentence," the twins said, pointing at her.

"Alright, I get it. But who would take their time to teach me?"

"And who am I going to find to teach me?" Haruhi asked.

* * *

The next day

"Quick, quick, slow…Quick, quick, slow…Good, Haruhi-_kun_. On 'slow' bring your feet together," Kanako said as the two danced around the room. "The gentleman always leads. Be sure to look at the girl you're dancing with."

"Right," Haruhi said, but he yelped as he tripped over his own foot and fell down, dragging Kanako down with her as she landed on top of her. "I'm so sorry, Kasugazaki-_san_!"

Kanako put on a smirk as she wrapped her arms around Haruhi's neck, pulling her closer. "That's all right, Haruhi-_kun_."

"You're looking gloomy, sir," the twins said as they watched Tamaki sitting on the windowsill, depressed once again as he watched Haruhi and Kanako.

"He said that he wanted to be the one she practiced with," Hikaru said.

"He's too tall to stand in as a woman for Haruhi-_kun_," Kaoru said.

"Hey guys," Rin said as she poked the two on the shoulder, making them turn to face her. "Can one of you teach me how to waltz?"

"Why not ask Tamaki?" they asked in unison, making his eyes widened as a smile came onto his face.

"I'm sorry Tamaki, but you were the one who told me I needed someone of similar height to dance with. And you're too tall."

He went back onto the windowsill, depressed. She walked over to him and patted him on the back with a smile. "How about instead of you teaching me, I'll save you the first dance?"

He was silent for a moment before he turned around with a big grin on his face. "Well then, I guess it's alright to practice with one of them."

The twins looked over at each other, shrugging. They were clueless as to how she had so easily persuaded him, as if Haruhi had been in her situation he would have denied it over and over again.

Kaoru thought of an idea as he smirked, whispering over to his brother. "Why don't you dance with her?"

"Me? Why me? Why don't you do it?"

"A brother knows what's best."

Hikaru was confused. What had led him to say that?

"Is this because of…?"

"It's more than that," Kaoru said with a wink, before he sat down on the couch.

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. He knew that what he had said to Kaoru might have had something to do with this, but all he was doing was simply asking for help on what he was feeling and what it meant.

Rin turned back around from dealing with Tamaki, noticing that Kaoru was seated on the couch, pressing play on the stereo. He had an evil smirk on his face as Hikaru stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do.

"Now, start the dancing!" Kaoru called out.

"Kaoru, shut up!" Hikaru called back, making Kaoru try and hide the laughter he so desperately wanted to let out.

"This is a volunteer?" she asked. "Or were you forced?"

"You can perceive it however you want," he replied.

She gave a smile. "I'll take it as you wanted to dance with me so bad that it was going to kill you. Now, let's get over this before I start going insane."

Hikaru turned to see his brother making kissy faces at them like a five year old. "I could drag you up here if you want," Hikaru said with a glare, the heat going to his cheeks from embarrassment.

"Oh no, I'm fine over here," Kaoru said, the smirk back on his face.

Rin giggled, which made Hikaru blush even more. Normally, he wouldn't blush at a girls' simple actions, but he knew there was something about her that was different, but he couldn't point out what it was or what he was feeling.

Kaoru smirked as he watched Hikaru try to instruct Rin on how to dance, though that didn't stop him from flirting every now and again like he normally would. But this made Kaoru's smile grow knowing how much Hikaru hated dancing.

However, he didn't seem to mind when he was dancing with Rin, almost as if she distracted him from his hatred. He sighed as he watched them, knowing that Hikaru would soon be taking steps that Kaoru wouldn't be able to take with his brother. The steps into becoming an individual.

…

The two sat down on the giant red couch, both of them tried from the extensive amount of dancing they were forced to do by Tamaki, their instructor. She groaned as she lied her head down into Hikaru's lap, resting her legs over the arm chair.

"Comfortable?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes actually, thank you for asking," she said with a smile.

"Are you two going to get back to work or are you going to continue slacking off?" Kyoya asked as he walked over, adjusting his glasses as he stared down at the two of them.

"We're just taking a break. Give us five minutes," she said with a groan, holding a hand over her eyes to shield from them witnessing Kyoya's face. He looked down at his watch, the beeping indicating that he was setting a timer.

"I'm holding you to that, Hayashi-_san_."

She could hear the thumping of his feet as he walked away, making her glare under her hand as she felt her mouth twitching as she tried to stop herself from cursing. But that didn't mean she couldn't do it in French. "_Fais chier_," she whispered under her breath.

"What does that mean?" Hikaru asked as she removed her hand, glad to see that it wasn't Kyoya's face that tainted her vision.

"I'm guessing you don't take French?" she asked.

"I do, I'm just not good at it…What's his problem anyway?"

"He holds a grudge against me for us breaking up a few months ago. I don't understand why though, since he broke up with me. But I guess some people will blame you no matter what."

She sighed as she closed her eyes, her voice almost monotone. It wasn't that she didn't feel anything from the breakup, but she quickly realised that it wasn't the love she had hoped for, it was emotionless and unreal. No love. At least from Kyoya's side of the relationship.

Rin had put everything in that relationship only to be crushed once again by a boy who didn't know how to express any emotion. If he had any. And it didn't help that she falls in love easily and when she does, she falls hard.

Yeah, that defiantly didn't help.

Hikaru didn't want to pry further as he knew that Tamaki would go nuts at him, but he really wanted to know more. As he glanced over at Kyoya, then back at the girl beside him, he never could have guessed that those two would have dated. And he wasn't surprised that it ended.

But he was surprised that she wasn't the one who ended it with him. He couldn't comprehend how anyone would want to break up with her. She seemed almost too perfect to be real. Who would want to throw that away?

Certainly not him if he had the chance.

Kyoya stood over at the side, adjusting his glasses as he looked down at his watch before glancing back at them. He was watching them closely. He then wrote something down in the black book, a scowl evident on his face which he tried to hide behind the book.

Hikaru smirked as he got a wicked idea. Not only would it tick off Kyoya and give her a little taste of revenge, but anything that got him closer to her was an amazing bonus.

"Well, look what he's now missing out on?" he asked with a smirk.

She looked up, staring into his hazel eyes. Even though he and Kaoru had the same coloured eyes, there was something about Hikaru's that made her content with just staring at them. She could get lost in his eyes. "What would that be?" she asked.

He leaned down closer until he was only a few centimetres from her face. "A beautiful hostess," he whispered into her ear, making her cheeks flush as she squirmed under his powerful gaze. But she giggled as she pushed his face away, a smile present on her face.

"You're such a flirt," she said through her giggles, making him chuckle.

As Kyoya watched, he turned his head as his pen snapped in half. He quickly noticed the black ink on his hand and sighed, shaking his head.

…

"Thank you so much, Kasugazaki-_san_ for letting me practice with you," Haruhi said as Kanako was seated down at a table with snacks and tea.

"Oh, that's okay. I hear you're refraining from entertaining any customers so you can get in some special training, aren't you? I'm that much happier to have you all to myself."

"Yeah…" Haruhi trailed off, feeling a little uncomfortable from her gaze.

"Oh, my! You got new cups? Ginori, right?"

"_Jinori_?" Haruhi asked, confusing the two words.

Jinori = land-grown seaweed

"You do indeed have a keen eye. They arrived only yesterday," Kyoya said. "Lately, our club has been seeking to improve its tea sets."

"I see. It's a nice colour. Very lovely."

"You must really like tableware, huh?" Haruhi asked.

"N-n-not really, no, I don't. My word, what are you talking about?"

Rin shook her head. _She's not very subtle._

"Hello, I've brought the teacups you ordered," a male voice called as they walked through the door, holding a box in their hands.

Kanako gasped as he grip on the cup tightened, recognising the voice.

"Ah, thank you," Kyoya said as he walked over to the man. "Every item that you choose for us is popular with the girls. It's very impressive."

"That's good to hear."

"Are you a dealer?" Haruhi asked as she walked over to them.

"I'm just a regular student. I'm wearing a uniform, see?"

"Haruhi-_kun_, you're so funny," Kanako said with a fake laugh. "Still, I can't blame you. He doesn't look like the heir to a first-class corporation, after all."

"Heir?" Rin and Haruhi asked in unison.

"Who even is this guy?" Rin whispered.

"His family business, Suzushima Trading, is a company whose business centres around the importing of tablewares. Currently, it has the top market share in the country," Kyoya said, reading from his black book.

"Oh, yeah?" Haruhi asked.

"Wow," Rin whispered in awe.

"Impressive huh?" the twins asked, resting an arm each on her shoulders.

"So whenever anything exceptional comes in, we've asked him to send it our way," Kyoya continued. "That's because we trust your eye for these things, Suzushima-_kun_."

During this, Kanako and the guy were exchanging glances, almost saddened as she turned away to face her green teacup again.

"Oh, no, my eye still has a long way to go."

"Your studying abroad in England starts next month, was it?"

"Yes. Well, I'll be off." There was a slight hint of sadness in his voice before he bowed, turning back around and exiting the room and closing the door behind him. Kanako kept her gaze down at the tea cup in her hands.

"Are you enjoying the Host Club?" Tamaki asked, catching her off guard.

"Are you close to that man who was just here?" Haruhi asked, holding the box of tea sets in her hands.

"Huh!?" Kanako asked, her body shaking. "N-n-not really, no, I'm not! M-my word, what are you talking about, Haruhi-_kun_? N-now, if you'll excuse me…Take care."

Her cheeks were flushed as she covered her mouth with a napkin, quickly heading out of the room as the door slammed shut.

"Haru-_chan_!" Honey-_senpai_ exclaimed as he jumped onto Haruhi's back, wrapping his legs around her waist and his arms around her neck. She yelped from the heart attack she almost received. "You know what? Suzushima-_kun_ is Kasuga-_chan_'s fiancé."

"Kyoya, how long have you known?" Tamaki asked, folding his arms.

"About him being her fiancé? I do, of course, conduct general research on our customers. The two are childhood friends. Their engagement appears to have been arranged by their parents. It didn't particularly seem to be information that we could use, so I just left it alone."

"Why, you…"

"Just who is this guy anyway? I still don't even know his name," Rin muttered, cutting Tamaki off. Kyoya opened up his black book and went through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

"Suzushima Toru: Outstanding grades, fair social status, ordinary looks, with reliability as a strong point. If I had to fault him for anything…"

"Not much presence," Hikaru said.

"He's faint-hearted," Kaoru continued.

"In other words, he's plain. That's it," Kyoya finished, closing the book with a loud snap.

"Toru-_kun_ is a good boy. Right?" Honey-_senpai_ asked, sitting on Mori-senpai's shoulders as he peeked over the top of his head.

"Yeah."

"All right, then…" Tamaki started. "Let's examine our strategy."

"Which one?" the other members asked in unison.

"Ouran Host Club exists in order to bring happiness to the girls!"

* * *

One week later

"My little lambs, who have gathered here tonight, Ouran Host Club bids you a fond welcome…" Tamaki said, the spotlight shining down on him as he bowed. "…To this dance party."

One by one, the chandeliers in the room lit up, the orchestra playing in the background as the seven hosts stood on the staircase, all wearing suits. The girls in the audience applauded as they watched the seven boys bow, each girl wearing elegant dresses with shining jewellery and fancy hairstyles.

"We invite you to enjoy yourselves to your heart's content as you dance with the Host Club members," Kyoya announced as the room fell quiet. "In addition, the guest who is recognised as the best dancer, and is chosen as tonight's queen will receive an impassioned kiss on the cheek from the king."

"Good luck to you, baby," Tamaki said as he winked. The girls squealed, some of them even fainting and turning into a blushing mess.

"Haruhi, your enthusiasm is low," the twins said in unison as they stood behind her. Her mouth twitched at the sight of all the girls in the crowd.

"I'm not used to this sort of thing. The only dance party I've ever been to is the _bon-odori_ festival at the neighbourhood park."

Bon-odori = traditional summer festival to honour ancestors who have died

"You probably can't call that a dance party," Kyoya said. "Well, you're here anyway so why don't you at least try the cuisine? There's a real spread."

"L-like with fancy tuna?" Haruhi asked.

Kyoya's pen broke as all of the hosts gasped in unison.

"Fan-" Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai exclaimed.

"-Cy-" Hikaru and Kaoru yelled.

"Tuna?!" Tamaki cried. He flipped over the side of the railing and landed down right in front of the Hosts, the twins having pulled Haruhi in for a sympathy hug. "Get some fancy tuna here, stat!"

"You poor thing…Oh, you poor thing…" the twins said.

"Add some deluxe sushi," Kyoya said into the phone.

Haruhi's face was pure red as her mouth twitched in both embarrassment and anger. _Damn these rich people…_

…

Rin sighed as she leaned against one of the pillars, watching the scene unfold in front of her. She drew quite a lot of attention from some of the girls in the room. Many asked where she got her dress from, and she replied from the Hitachiin fashion line, since they pretty much make most of the costumes that the Host Club wears.

She had on a long white dress that reached the floor, the top half of the dress covered in silver sequins, a gold belt separating the two halves. She had on simple white heels and her hair was let down, curled at the ends that reached her chest and a white headband in her hair.

She watched the seven males walking down the stairs, all the girls waiting for who would be the first they'd dance with. Every girl in the room would have a chance to dance with at least one host member throughout the night, but whoever the hosts picked as their first dance meant that that person was more special to them.

She noticed a hand stuck out in front of her, making her shake her head once she knew who it was.

"You said you'd save the first dance for me," Tamaki said with a dashing smile. "I hope you haven't forgotten your promise."

"That would be very rude of me, wouldn't it?" she asked as she took his hand as he led them to the middle of the dancefloor where everyone was watching. Many of the girls, while disappointed, understood why the two were dancing together, as the news of them being childhood friends had spread fast.

"Are you having fun?" he asked.

"What's the definition of fun again? It depends."

"Are you saying you're not enjoying the Host Club, Rin-_chan_!?" he asked, stopping as he started freaking out.

She laughed as she grabbed hold of his shoulders, trying to calm him down. "I didn't say that. I just don't find dancing as much fun as other things."

Tamaki coughed, straightening out his suit. "Oh, at least it's not…_that_ bad."

"You haven't changed Tamaki," she said with a smile.

"You haven't either," he responded as he twirled her around.

…

"Rin-_chan_! You look so cute in that dress!" Honey-_senpai_ exclaimed.

"Oh, thank you," she said as she spun around, twirling her dress. "How much do you like sweets by the way?"

His face lit up, almost as if no one had asked him that question before. "I love any flavour of cake, and I love when they have little strawberries on top! Ooh, and I love candy and chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, lime, anything!"

"Would you like to have some cake with me sometime? I'm a big sweets fan myself." She gave a smile once she noticed him jumping for joy.

"Of course Rin-_chan_!"

…

"Mori-_senpai_, it's nice to see you," she said as he nodded, taking her hand as they started to dance. She followed his eye sight and noticed he was looking over at Honey-_senpai_ dancing with one of the guests.

"Are you two related or are you guys just really close friends?"

"Cousins," he replied with a slight grunt.

"Cousins, but you guys…" She trailed off, knowing that there were no similarities between the two, but then again cousins didn't have to have similarities as they weren't immediate family. "That's very sweet of you to look after him the way you do."

He nodded. "Thanks."

…

"Haruhi, how are you doing?" Rin asked with a laugh as she noticed how tired Haruhi seemed to be from all the dancing.

"Alright, I guess. It could be worse." She glared over at Tamaki's direction, silently thanking the gods that she wouldn't have to dance with him.

"He's not that bad." Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "He's just dramatic."

Haruhi shook her head. "Whatever, can we dance already?"

Rin smiled. "Of course, you're such a demanding _man_ Haruhi."

"Oh shush." There was a slight smile on Haruhi's face as he took Rin's hand as the two started to dance.

…

"Rin, we need to talk," Kaoru said as he walked over to her, standing beside her as they stood and watched the other members dance. "Some words of advice."

"Words of advice?" she asked. "Advice on what?"

Kaoru looked over at his brother, who was obviously trying not to look bored of dancing in front of the girls. But he could tell. He could always tell. "My brother, he doesn't take lightly to new people entering his circle. It used to be just us two. Us and then everyone else…Be careful with my brother. Promise me you won't hurt him."

She noticed his saddened smile as the two glanced over at Hikaru. "I promise. But why are you asking me this?"

"I guess a brother knows more than he should."

…

"Kyoya's snapped three pens this week," Hikaru said with a smirk as he took her hand as they danced.

"And were you one of those reasons?" she asked and he shrugged.

"…Rin, you know you don't have to be around him if you don't want, right?"

"Yeah, but I was raised to be the bigger person."

The two looked over at Kyoya, noticing him staring at the two of them dancing without any emotion on his face. Hikaru's grip on her hands tightened and she interlocked their hands. She didn't know if it was too soon after her break-up to be doing stuff like this and she was probably moving way too fast, but then again she could always pretend that relationship never happened. It had only lasted for a six months anyway, she was surprised it had even lasted that long.

She noticed his glance return back to her as his eyes went down to their hands. He didn't know if he had gripped tighter because he was angry or whether he just wanted to get closer, but he didn't seem too bothered with finding out. He didn't know why his heart was racing so much with just looking at her or what it meant, but he wasn't afraid of the new feeling.

"If he does anything, tell me, so I punch him in his smug looking face," he whispered, which made her smile.

"That's sweet, just hold off the violence, alright?" she asked as she looked over at Kyoya who was staring at them again, this time with a glare on his face which almost made Hikaru smirk.

Over the past four months, there had been a silent rivalry between the two boys, but she knew there was no contest between the two as she knew that Kyoya would never act on anything like this, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. And also, she would never let him win.

She gave him a small smile as she leaned closer to him, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek, the blood rushing to his cheeks at her sudden action. He turned back to her, his eyes wide as he tried to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. "It's a thank you," she whispered.

"S-so it's not to get a reaction from Kyoya?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Well, that's a bonus. But I think I like you too much for my own good. Just, take that as a thank you, for being someone who cares." She gave him a nod as she squeezed his hand before her smile faded as she glanced over at Kyoya, knowing she would have to talk to him.

As she slowly let go of his hand as she walked away, he knew how much he hated having lost that warmth from her. He wished she could walk to him and be beside him, but he knew he shouldn't do that until she was fully ready. And he really didn't want it to be her brain making her think she needed another relationship even if she didn't feel anything like he did.

…

"Do we need to talk?" Rin asked as she walked towards him as he stood next to a pillar, watching the other hosts dance with the girls in the room.

"About what, Hayashi-_san_?" he asked, keeping his eyes away from hers as he looked at the dancing groups.

"This bitterness you seem to have towards me. The attitude you have."

"I treat everyone equally."

"Nice try, but I've seen the way you stare at me, the glares, writing things down in your little book. I know you've got some kind of problem with me and I want to know what it is, especially as I didn't do anything wrong."

He sighed as he adjusted his glasses. "Do we have to spend our time talking about such trivial things about the past?"

"If you haven't noticed, they are important things that affect our lives. The past doesn't need to be forgotten…It seems you're having a much harder time dealing with this than me."

"Or are you just hiding your feelings by flirting with every guy you meet?"

"Oh, are we going to use petty insults now? I thought you were above that. It's my job and if I remember correctly, it's yours as well."

"But, I keep it inside the Host Club, unlike some people."

"Are you just jealous that I've moved on from that relationship and you haven't?"

"Didn't you say you'd sworn off boys, or did you just say that to make your brother happy?"

"Don't bring my brother into this, there's no reason for him to be involved. This is strictly between us."

"If I remember correctly, you said you would never come here as I lived here. So, what changed your mind? Couldn't stand to be around your family anymore?"

"This is exactly what I am talking about? The rude insults and these petty arguments. Can't we just let all of this go and move on? Just let go!"

Some of the guests turned around, noticing the argument that broke out among the classical music. She quickly noticed that most of the people surrounding them were staring, and saw that Kyoya looked quite unfazed, like nothing had happened. She didn't know she bothered wasting her time with him as she noticed the hosts staring to stare too. She walked out of the room, knowing that what she needed was some time to herself, away from the crowds.

The guests all whispered in concern and confusion, but all Hikaru could feel was anger as his hand curled into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

…

She slowly walked down the darkened hallways of the school, looking at all the empty classrooms that she passed. There was a sign that hung above one of the doors that caught her eye, almost lit up like it was an indication to go inside.

Class 3-C.

She walked inside of the empty classroom, the moonlight shining through the window as it illuminating one of the desks in the middle of the room. She walked towards it as she ran her hand over the wooden surface. She felt small tears prick her eyes as she wiped them with her other hand, not wanting to show how weak she felt.

He had always admired how strong she could be in these kind of situations, and she didn't want to let him down even though he wasn't there to see her. She sat herself down on the desk as she smiled to herself, trying to hold in the tears that desperately wanted to fall as she remembered him.

…

Tamaki quietly walked over to Kyoya, not wanting to cause even greater scene, whispered into his ear. Kyoya gave a sigh and nodded as he walked off and out onto the balcony, away from everyone else.

None of the guests knew how to react, considering none of them had any idea what had happened. As they had only seen the end, they had no idea whose side they should be on.

"Everyone, please, return to dancing. Everything is alright and will be sorted accordingly," Tamaki said, using his charming smile to make half of the guests completely forget about what happened as their brains turned to mush.

He walked back over to the hosts, his hand in his coat pockets as a serious look took over his face. "Someone needs to go talk to her."

"I'll go," Haruhi volunteered.

"No, we have a plan to execute, and we need you to distract," he said, trying to think hard of a solution. "We'll need to make some changes to that plan too…" He looked up as he glanced at all of the hosts, his eyes falling on one in particular. "Hikaru, you go fetch her. We'll need her for the plan tonight."

"Why is Hika-_chan_ going?" Honey-_senpai_ asked, tilting his head as he held onto Usa-_chan_.

"You know her better," Haruhi stated. "Shouldn't you go to her?"

"Haven't you all noticed that she talks to him a lot more than me?" Tamaki asked. "It's not hard to notice how close those two are. Now, please, hurry up and talk to her. Make sure she's okay."

Tamaki had so much sincerity in his voice, it was almost as if he was treating her like she was his daughter. Hikaru looked over at the rest of the hosts, hiding his excitement to see her again. Was it bad that he really wanted to see her even if she was a crying mess? All of the hosts nodded, knowing that once Tamaki had his mind set on something, there was nothing that would be able to change it.

Hikaru took a glance at his brother, giving him a nod as he pulled him in for a hug. "I'll see you soon, Kaoru," he whispered.

"I'll miss you so much, Hikaru," Kaoru whispered, making the girls squeal at the brotherly love act.

"You'll only be gone for a few minutes," Haruhi muttered as she rolled her eyes.

…

She sighed as she glanced up at the moon threw the window, wondering where he was. What he was doing right at that moment? Was he looking at the moon too, or was he looking at the sun? Guess she wouldn't know, but she wished she knew how much she would miss him when he left.

"Rin?" a voice called from the dark hallways, footsteps coming into the room as they stepped inside, staring at her. "Tamaki told me to come get you," he said as he walked up to her. She sighed with relief as she knew it was him and not someone else. He was quiet for a moment as he stood in front of her, thinking of what he should say.

"What happened out there?"

"Nothing," she said as she ran a hand through her hair. "I've already made enough of a scene out there, I don't need to make another one."

"It won't be as big as the one I'm going to make if you don't tell me what happened out there…Rin, just tell me."

"He was just pushing my buttons…I guessed it worked, huh? Hurt them before you get hurt. It's his famous strategy." She couldn't look him in the eyes as she played with her hands, making his mind race with anger. He placed his hands down on the desk she sat on, preventing her from escaping. She could tell the anger he held in his eyes, and she knew this was his way of stopping himself from rushing out there and beating up Kyoya. His face was only a few centimetres from hers.

"Rin, look at me," he said. She hesitated before she took a chance, her brown eyes meeting with his hazel eyes, filled with anger. But once their eyes met, the anger vanished and was replaced with sadness. "A-are you going to be okay?" he asked, the words he was originally going to ask vanishing.

She nodded as she took a deep breath. "I always am," she whispered as she titled her head down, leaning it on his shoulder as she closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm thanking you again, for caring about me." The smile that graced her face made his heart race, but he didn't mind it this time as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, her head now crooked in his neck as his grip tightened. This was nothing like she had experienced before. The warmth, the love, anything like this was all new to her. And she didn't mind it.

…

She fixed up her hair and her dress before she took a step inside the room. The plan had been originally for Haruhi to be the mystery girl, but because of the incident involving Rin and Kyoya, Tamaki, though he was upset about not being able to see Haruhi in a dress, knew it was best to keep them apart for the rest of the night. So, Rin had become the mystery girl while Haruhi entertained the guests.

She saw Toru standing there, staring out the window. As the door opened, he turned around, an eyebrow raised. "You wrote this letter?" he asked. "You're a lot different from what I imagined."

"Letter?" she asked as she took a step closer. He handed her the bright pink sheet of paper, and she instantly knew it was going to be bad.

"I'm in love-love!

From the first time I ever saw you, my heart fell in super love-love! Tee-hee!

It's like, I'm in a never-ending tropical cyclone, not unlike a typhoon, where love is whipping around in my heart, and I want to rendezvous with you on Noah's Ark.

I do, I do!"

_Oh this is what Kyoya and the twins were writing down. I guess none of them really have a keen eye for creative writing or poetry._

"Huh? Have we met somewhere?" Toru asked.

"Oh, not officially. I've seen you around school before."

"I'm sorry. I appreciate what you've said, but I cannot respond to your letter. I already have another girl who is dear to me."

"Oh, Suzushima-_san_, I wasn't aware you had a…"

"Unfortunately, she isn't my girlfriend. Or should I say, she's through with me. She'd be better suited having a more dazzling, self-confident man."

He stared out the window, watching the cherry blossom petals falling from the trees and flying through the wind, colouring the sky in patches of a light pink.

…

"Just where exactly is it that you're taking me?" Kanako asked, her heels clicking against the floor as the silence filled the hallway.

"You…You probably aren't the sort of person who is cut out for manipulating others," Tamaki said as he held her hand, stopping their walk in front of a large window.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"No matter how many hosts you hop around to, in order to gain his attention, you always seem happier when you look at the teacups."

"_Look at these, Kanako," Toru's childish voice sounded as he peeked through the glass window containing numerous amounts of tea cups._

"_How pretty!" a young Kanako awed at the sight, a huge smile on her face as she stared at all the tea cups on the shelf._

"_A Wedgwood…a Foley…a Worcester…Over here is a Ginori, and a Meissen. Kanako, you're going to be my wife, so I'll tell you about all of them, okay?"_

"_Mm-hmm!" she replied with a nod, her cheeks turning red as they now stared at each other through the glass._

"It doesn't matter," Kanako said, choking on a sob that she was trying to hold back. "No matter what I do, he doesn't notice me in the least. He even decided to study abroad without me knowing it."

…

"That's why I'd like to change, as well. Looking at the world, I want to become an even greater man. I know it's selfish of me, but what if you were to wait for me?"

Rin stared at Toru, wondering what she should say.

"In a way it is, but it's also not. In a way, you're saying that she should stop her life and wait for you, but if she's truly in love with you than she won't mind waiting. Love has no boundaries, but if you never tell her what you're feeling, she'll never wait."

And then, the door opened and there stood Kanako, shook emitted on her face as she stared at Rin and Toru.

"Kanako…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I seem to be interrupting something. I'll just…" Tears poured from her cheeks as she took off into a run, sobbing as she tried to escape from the sight she thought she saw.

"Kanako!" Toru shouted as he ran out of the room, running down the hallway after her to hopefully set things straight.

Rin slowly walked outside the room, noticing Tamaki standing beside her with a smile on his face, his hands in his pockets.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked, watching as the two disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

"Of course. It works in all your books, doesn't it?" he asked.

"But those are fictional, they're not…"

"He did go running after her."

…

The two ran outside, underneath the shining moonlight from the night sky. Toru grabbed hold of her wrist, turning her around as she stopped running. Tears flew down her cheeks as her eyes widened, her tears landing down beside the fallen cherry blossom petals.

A spotlight shined down on them, three more appearing one by one as the light blinded the two. The doors on the balcony slowly opened, the girls piling out to see what the commotion was all about.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, this enjoyable evening of ours has at last come to its final song," Tamaki said as he walked out and stood at the railing. "The Host Club's last waltz falls upon this couple."

The two below stood in shock, not knowing what they should do. Toru stiffened when he felt a small, delicate hand touch his shoulder. Thinking that it was Kanako, he turned around, but it wasn't her hand.

"Dance with her," Rin said with a smile. "Show each other how you really feel." The two were clearly confused, not sure what was going on. "I'm here to help you," she continued. "And all two needed was a little push, and who better to do that than the Host Club."

His jaw dropped once he realised who she was, his cheeks turning red from the things he had told her about Kanako. She sent Kanako a smile, who then gave her a nod in gratitude. Rin walked past them, heading up the stairs to join the Host Club members on the balcony.

Toru turned to Kanako, taking a deep breath before he held his hand out. "Princess Kasuga," he said as he bowed his head. "May I have this dance?"

Kanako gasped, not expecting him to make a move. She was silent for a second before a small smile appeared on her face. "Yes," she whispered as she held his hand.

Tamaki made a hand cue and the orchestra started to play, the two dancing underneath the four spotlights and the cherry blossom petals. The Host members all watched with smiles on their faces as they watched the two just being happy staring at each other.

"I love you," Toru said. "I've always loved you. I'm proposing to you once again."

Kanako gasped in joy, happy tears going down her cheeks as a giant smile filled her face. She felt giddy, like she was swinging around in a teacup.

"Tonight, my hopping around to different hosts is over."

Back on the balcony, Tamaki was filled with joy. "May this awkward couple be blessed!" He stretched his arms out, almost hitting Haruhi in the face.

"Tonight's dance queen…" Hikaru started.

"…Is hereby declared to be Princess Kasugazaki Kanako," Kaoru continued. For some reason, the two of them were holding banana peels in their hands.

The guests all applauded as Kanako tried to hide how ecstatic she was.

"Now then, the blessed kiss from the king…"

"I'm on," Tamaki said.

"…Has been switched to Fujioka Haruhi!" Kaoru finished, making both Tamaki and Haruhi gasp in shock.

"Hey!"

"After all, Kyoya-_senpai_ had that having an 'accident' happen right at the end would be more thrilling," they said in unison.

"It's just on the cheek, right? Go ahead and accept it, to commemorate your graduation from host-hopping," Toru said as he held onto Kanako's shoulder, giving her a small smile.

"Of all the things to put me through…" Haruhi groaned.

"We'll cut your debt by one-third," Kyoya said, making Haruhi reconsider.

"Well, as long as it's just a peck on the cheek…" She started walking down the steps, Kanako taking slow steps over to the end of the staircase.

"Say, by any chance, could this be Haru-_chan_'s first kiss?" Honey-_senpai_ asked.

"Why does that matter? It's on the cheek," Rin said.

"What!?" Tamaki screamed.

Haruhi placed her hands on Kanako's cheeks, turning her head slowly as she leaned forward to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hold that kiss!" he screamed as he ran down the stairs, leaping down as he extended his arm. But, he ended up slipping on a banana peel and ended up pushing Haruhi, resulting in her accidentally turning Kanako's head and kissing her lips. Tamaki gasped in horror as he realised what he'd done.

The two quickly separated as the girls in the crowd screamed, the two covering their mouths in shock. Rin started laughing as the hosts watched with mischievous smiles. She was mostly laughing at Tamaki who was face planted on the ground, the shock taking over his body as he couldn't move.

"He's such an idiot," Rin said with a laugh, an arm around her shoulder which made her smile even more.

"But he's our boss," Hikaru said and she nodded, watching as Tamaki crawled on the ground in desperation. She leaned her head against his shoulder as his arm tightened around her shoulder.

"I really do appreciate what you did for me Hikaru," she said.

"Are you alright now?" he asked as he looked down at her and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be alright. I always am."

* * *

Haruhi: If word gets out that I'm a girl, I couldn't very well stay in the Host Club.

Tamaki: Don't you worry Haruhi. Whatever happens, I'll protect your secret!

Haruhi: Next time, "_Beware the Physical Exam_".

Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE:**

"Keeping Secrets – Ouran's Physical Exams"

{Episode Three - Beware the Physical Exams}

* * *

"_Those with the wherewithal-first, in social standing, and second, with money – spend their time here, at the private Ouran Academy. As such, Ouran Host Club is where the handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain and charm the girls who also have too much time on their hands. _

_It is the school's own personal, elegant playground for the super-rich."_

…

The black gates of Ouran opened, revealing seven attractive males and an attractive girl as they stood at the entrance, half of them dressed in kimonos and the other half dressed as waiters.

"Welcome!" the eight chorused.

It was the first time that the Host Club was being held outside, specifically in the flower-viewing reception, which probably would never be used after today. It was a perfect day outside and Spring was in its last days, so they decided to take this opportunity to use it before the hot weather hit.

"Which cup would the princess like her tea in?" Tamaki asked. "The Foley? The Worcester? Or perhaps the Susie Cooper Gardenia?"

"How pretty," the girl said with a sigh. "These are all English antiques, right? Tamaki-_kun_, which one do you like?"

He gently grabbed her hand, moving closer to her face with a charming smile. "Why, I'd like to take my princess out, of course."

Manager, Suou Tamaki, High School 2nd-Year, Host Club King

"Oh, Tamaki-_kun_…"

…

"Have you ever been to Convent Garden?" Kaoru asked.

"Mm-mm. Our only antiques come from Portobello."

"It's quite interesting," Hikaru said. "Most of the Victorian pieces around here are from there."

Kaoru leaned over as he picked up the tea pot, however it slipped and it poured the hot tea over his finger. He hissed in pain as he turned and clutched onto his burnt finger.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru gasped as he grabbed hold of his brother's hand, placing the burnt finger in his mouth to numb the pain. "For pity's sake, that's what you get for not watching what you're doing. You just need to keep your eyes on me."

Hitachiin Hikaru, High School 1st-Year

"Hikaru…" Kaoru whispered as his cheeks reddened.

Hitachiin Kaoru, High School 1st-Year

One of the girls gasped in delight as she held a hand to her head, her face turning red as she sighed. "I can't take anymore! It's just too fantastic!"

"You have to watch, or it will go to waste! This is a rare scene!" the other girl said as she smacked her on the shoulder.

"You are absolutely right, _miss_," Kyoya said as he stood behind them, holding a cherry blossom petal between his fingers. "As with these cherry blossoms, beauty is fleeting. There isn't a single day when you will see them like this again."

Vice-President, Otori Kyoya, High School 2nd-Year

"And so, I created this book, containing photo collections that capture the beauty of the passing days." He held up a picture book, the front cover of the twins. "Incidentally, I've prepared similar books for everyone else. In the event that you were to purchase them all together, there is a special set price."

"I'll buy them!"

"All of them!"

"So this is how the club makes money," the twins said in unison.

"Which raises the question…" Hikaru started.

"…When did he take any pictures of us?" Kaoru finished.

…

"You all look stunning today," Rin said as she smoothed out her kimono, giving a smile once the three boys blushed.

"But this is our sport uniforms," one of the boys said, the other two boys nodding.

She laughed as she watched the confusion on their faces. "The uniform, boys, isn't what makes a man attractive, well, it certainly helps. But, most of it comes from personality. And from what I can tell, you three have great personalities, which makes you all very attractive, my princes," she said.

Hayashi-Bellerose Rin, High School 1st-Year

Kyoya interrupted as he walked over with a magazine in his hands, the picture on front being of her. "What is that?" she asked as she grabbed hold of one.

"Business, as usual. It's how we earn some extra money," he answered as he adjusted his glasses. She flicked through the pages of the magazine, disgusted at the pictures that involved her. They had all been taken without her permission and were candid shots of her walking around the school.

"Next time, you should get my permission before you take photos of me," she said as she shoved the magazine back in his hands, standing up and walking away from her table. "Sorry boys," she said as she walked outside.

…

The three remaining hosts were sitting underneath a path of cherry blossom trees on the red mat, flowers and delicious sweets decorating the mat. Honey-_senpai_ was using the bamboo spoon and crushing the Matcha inside the grey bowel, using all his strength and incredible speed. He was supposed to be making Koicha, but everyone could tell he was mixing too hard.

Matcha = Finely ground powder for green tea

Koicha = thick tea

_Should I tell him? _Haruhi thought as she stared with widened eyes.

Fujioka Haruhi (actually a girl), High School 1st-Year, Honour Student

Honey-_senpai_ was still unaware of everyone's staring as he continued to mix.

Haninozuka Mitsukuni aka 'Honey', Highschool 3rd-Year

The two guests were seated on purple mats, both staring in shock at Honey-_senpai_'s incredibly fast mixing. They both looked at each other, wondering if they should say something, but they weren't sure. Mori-_senpai_ stared on, a blank expression on his face.

Morinozuka Takashi aka 'Mori', High School 3rd-Year

"Mitsukuni…" he said, leaning closer to his cousin's ear. "You've lost too much."

_He said it! _Haruhi and the guests thought in distress.

Honey-_senpai_ slowly lifted the bamboo spoon out of the bowel, noticing how little of the now mixed green tear remained, it was only a tiny little puddle. His eyes widened as he saw a little drop from the bamboo spoon, his eyes widening before they quickly saddened, his lower lip quivering as his eyes watered.

"Honey-_kun_, I'll take it!" the guest closest to him exclaimed as she quickly grabbed hold of the bowel. "It looks so delicious!" She then took a little sip of the green tea.

"Yes, that's exactly the amount I wanted to have!" the other guest said. "You're amazing, Honey-_kun_! How ever did you know?"

"Really?" he asked, a huge smile making its way onto his face.

…

Five minutes into service

"Rin-_chan_, come back here!" a guest called as he ran out of the club room. Rin yelped as she continued to run away, seeing the hearts in his eyes as he tried to follow her.

As she stepped outside, all she could see were the many cherry blossom trees that covered the area, which weren't the greatest places to hide from a very hormonal teenage boy. Once she noticed he wasn't right behind her, she grabbed hold of the one of the branches, pushing herself up until both of her feet were securely on the branch. She continued this until she reached up to the branches which were covered in the pink flowers, keeping her hidden as her kimono was an almost identical colour.

The wind picked up a little as the cool breeze felt refreshing as it blew through her hair. She could hear the footsteps coming closer from underneath her, and she wondered if he would look and see her.

The boy looked all around him, but he couldn't find her anywhere. He sighed as he shook his head, turning back around and heading back the way he came, going back to try and look for her. She sighed with relief as she rested her back against the trees, thick trunk as she slowly slid her body down until her butt rested on the branch underneath her.

From where she sat, she could see someone standing underneath the tree, sighing as they stared at the cherry blossoms. It was Haruhi, who was away from the guests as she took a much needed break.

"Haruhi, how about it?" Tamaki asked, appearing out of nowhere behind her. "Enjoying yourself?"

Rin pushed herself to stand, curiosity taking over her as she eavesdropped into their conversation.

"Tamaki-_senpai_…" Haruhi started, wondering how long he'd been standing there.

"The flower-viewing reception isn't all that bad, huh? But then, in our case, we're more busy being admired than in doing any admiring."

"_Senpai_, you're blooming in more ways than one, huh?"

"Well said! Yes, today, I am in the full glory of my beauty. I wonder if you'll fall for me, too."

_This guy must live his life completely detached from the severity of the world, _Haruhi thought as she groaned.

"Isn't that a bit weird, considering she's your 'daughter'?" Rin asked, peering over the edge of the branch as she gave a small smile.

Her sudden voice made Tamaki yelp as he turned around, wondering where the voice had come from. Haruhi raised an eyebrow as she looked around.

"Uh, Rin, where are you?" Haruhi asked.

"Oh, up here." The two looked up and saw Rin sitting on the branch, waving down at them as she kicked her legs over the edge.

"What are you doing up there?" she asked.

"A young lady should not be climbing up trees!" Tamaki yelled as he pointed at her, concern spread all over his face.

"Sorry, I just had to get away from one of my guests," she said as she jumped from branch to branch until she had reached the bottom. "He was getting a little too close for my liking."

Tamaki rushed forward as he grabbed hold of her shoulders. "Do we need to banish him? What did he do to you, my precious daughter?"

"Tamaki, you need to calm down. He was just being a bit creepy. He didn't touch me, well, he might have if I didn't run."

He sighed with relief as he pulled her close. "I won't let any boy touch you."

"That's a bit hard considering my job, but you know, whatever makes you happy."

…

Ten minutes into service

"Haruhi, Rin, have you decided on your elective courses for this term?" the twins asked in unison as they separated the two girls away from Tamaki. Kaoru had linked his arm with Haruhi's while holding a sheet of paper in his hands, and Hikaru had grabbed hold of Rin's waist and pulled her back into his chest.

"How about Conversational French?" Kaoru asked.

"Hmm, good question…" Haruhi muttered.

"If you're going to, let's take it together. After all, we are in…" Hikaru started.

"…The same class," they finished in unison as they sent a devilish smirk over Tamaki's way, making him gasp in horror. He squatted down in front of the tree trunk, depression sinking in once again.

"But I can already fluently speak French," Rin pointed out.

"Then you can tutor me," Hikaru said. "I suck at languages."

Kaoru nodded, knowing from experience. "It's true."

Rin sent him a smirk. "Ensuite, je peux dire ce que je veux et vous ne savez pas?"

He titled his head to the right, which made her laugh. "I guess we can do that."

"I think she asked if she could say anything and you wouldn't know," Haruhi said and Rin nodded.

"Say, Mommy…" Tamaki started.

"What is it, Daddy?" Kyoya asked with a smirk on his face as he stopped writing down in his book. His voice laced thick with arrogance.

"This is ultimately…yes, ultimately, just my hypothesis, but by being in the same class, Hikaru and Kaoru are able to spend more time with Haruhi and Rin than I do, with just our club activity time together, and what's worse, they have a greater chance to become closer to them, which means…"

"Oh, you're just now realising that?"

Electricity shot through Tamaki as he screamed.

Kyoya pulled out a whiteboard that had two pie graphs on it, the main subject being "Contact with Haruhi and Rin".

"During the day, those four spend the roughly nine hours of school time together, but contact between you and the two is limited to this hour or two of club activities. Put another way, your involvement in their life amounts to a mere 3%."

"Aah! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!" Tamaki screamed as tears poured from his eyes. "Haruhi, Rin, you mustn't hand around with those disreputable twins any further!"

"Disreputable, you say!?" Hikaru shouted.

"You're the last one we want to have call us that, sir!" Kaoru shouted.

"Yes…that's it…Sure enough, we can't go on hiding the fact you're a girl from everyone! What Daddy wants is for you to go back to being the girl student you used to be, surrounded by your girl friends, and living a wholesome life as a student."

"Who are you calling 'Daddy'?" Haruhi asked in monotone.

"Go back! Go back, now! Go back, right now!" Tamaki screamed as he grabbed hold of her shoulders, shaking her back and forth as tears continued down his face.

"You don't have to rush things. She'll be found out soon enough anyway," Hikaru said.

"Remember? The day after tomorrow, we have physical exams," Kaoru said.

"Physical exams?" Rin asked. "What are those?"

Physical exams = naked exams, pretty much…I guess

"Now that you mention it, it is the day after tomorrow," Kyoya said as all eyes were on Haruhi.

"Then…it will get out, for sure…that I'm a girl," Haruhi said, making all the hosts gasp in shock.

"Well, we're going to have to do something about this then, won't we?" Rin asked.

"What do we need to do?" the twins asked in unison.

"I don't have much of an idea why this is such a big deal," Kyoya said as he opened up his clipboard. "According to the guests, they don't seem to mind whether she is a girl or a boy."

"No! That cannot happen!" Tamaki screamed, taking them by surprise.

"Think he wants her all to himself?" Rin whispered and the twins nodded.

"Anything's possible with the boss."

* * *

Tamaki was sat down in the chair, staring at nothing with a huge smile on his face as his face was turning red. He was daydreaming about something, that was obvious, but Rin thought he looked like he was on happy pills.

"What is he doing?" she asked as she walked over to him, waving her hand in front of his face in the hopes that he might blink or at least move. But, there was no reaction from him. "Well, whatever it is, he's entranced by it."

"Tama-_chan_ seems to be enjoying himself, huh?" Honey-_senpai_ asked.

"He looks rather miserable to me," Hikaru commented.

"Don't be so cynical, Hikaru," Tamaki said as he suddenly went back to reality, a smirk on his face. "Everything is going according to plan. I could see how this would turn out from the start, without being jealous of the likes of you. Indeed! This anime has already been a school love comedy. Haruhi and I are clearly necessary components of the love comedy."

"Then what are we?" the twins asked.

"Why, the necessary homo-homo supporting cast, of course." He grabbed hold of a long stick as he drew a line – somehow – into the pink tiled floor. "So make sure you don't come past this line."

"I'm kind of disgusted by this," they muttered.

"Then what about me, Tamaki?" Rin asked as she stood beside him. He looked up as he rubbed his chin, taking this question very seriously as he drew another line, separating her from both Tamaki and the other hosts.

"You're a side character, not as important as Haruhi and I, but not just the supporting cast. You don't get a love interest…"

"So I just have to stay single and lonely?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

"…You're fan service for the male audiences so they can watch as well."

"Is that why you always dress me up all the time?" she asked and he nodded. "Je t'emmerde!"

Tamaki let an unmanly shriek as he hid behind one of the pillars. "That's not something a lady should say!"

"Tais-toi!"

"I'm kind of glad I'm failing French," Hikaru muttered as Kaoru elbowed him, keeping him quiet.

"On the other hand…" he started.

"…Don't you understand, sir?" Kaoru asked.

"If it gets out that Haru-_chan_ is a girl, she won't be able to stay in the Host Club," Honey-_senpai_ said as he held onto Usa-_chan_. "But if Haru-_chan_ were to wear girls' clothes, she'd look even more cute, huh?"

"She did dress like a regular girl when she was in middle school, so she must have been popular with the boys, right?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah. According to my investigative report, someone would declare their love to her about once a month."

"Oh, then his highness wouldn't be able to get near her, huh?" Kaoru asked.

"Well, we're still in the same class as her, so we'd be okay."

"Then we can have both of them," they finished in unison.

"No!" Tamaki cried, his whole body turning pale.

"How many times did you get confessed a month, Rin-_chan_?" Honey-_senpai_ asked.

"A little over three times a month. It was a smaller school."

Tamaki gasped in even louder as horror take over his face.

The door opened, revealing a nervous looking Haruhi. "Sorry I'm late," she said as she closed the door behind her.

"Don't you worry, Haruhi! We're going to make sure that we protect the secret that you're a girl during tomorrow's physical exams! So please, stay our own, exclusive princess!"

Haruhi blinked a few times. "Okay?"

"It's true, we'd be a little annoyed if Haruhi were courted by other men," Hikaru said.

"Like you do with Rin?" Kaoru asked with a smirk, making her turn her head.

"Shut up Kaoru!" Hikaru whispered.

"Well, that settles it."

Operation Conceal Haruhi's Gender also named "Operation: I Swear Haruhi-_chan_ is a Boy!" is underway!

"All right, squad members! Let's each reconfirm what our formation A positioning is for tomorrow's physical exams!" Tamaki instructed as he pointed at the seven stick figures drawn on the whiteboard.

"Yes sir!"

"That's right," Haruhi as she placed her fist down into her palm. "If I'm found out, then I won't be able to continue as a host, and I won't be able to repay my debt, huh?" She turned her back to them. "I still have a balance of 5,333,332 yen." She turned sideways, a finger to her chin. "Well, I guess I'll have to come up with some other way." She then started laughing.

"Commander, the subject doesn't have any initiative for this!" the twins exclaimed in distress.

"Grr…what an uncooperative heroine!" Tamaki growled. "Is that how much you hate hosting? How much you hate this club?"

"Well, if I had to say, then yes, I do."

Tamaki gasped in horror as he went into the corner, depression taking over as that corner was filled with a dark mist.

"Hey, if it gets out that I'm a girl, then there really is nothing I can do."

"What low motivation she has," Hikaru muttered.

"The first thing we have to fix is Haruhi's lack of determination," Kaoru said.

"And do you say we do that?" Rin asked.

"Fancy tuna," Mori-_senpai_ said.

Haruhi gasped as the image of the thought appeared in her mind, her eyes widening at the thought of the desired food.

"That's right," Tamaki said, slowly turning his head with a creepy grin on his face. "During last episode's dance party, you didn't get to eat any of it, did you?"

"Did you hear? She says she's never eaten any fancy tuna before," Hikaru said.

"What a bleak upbringing she's had," Kaoru said.

"Just the thought is unthinkable! How could you live without the amazing taste of fancy tuna?" Rin asked, playing along with them.

"If only she could stay in the club, then she'd have any numbers of chance to eat delicious things from here on out," Honey-_senpai_ said, pouted.

"W-what are you talking about? Just because I might be poor, I'm not so much of a glutton that I'd go on fooling everyone about what sex I am, just so I can eat fancy tuna…" She finished it off with nervous laughter, staring at the other members who were all smirking at her. "Will I really be able to eat some?"

…

Later that night

Rin sighed as she opened the door, taking her shoes off and placing them down next to the welcome mat beside the door. She slung her bag over one shoulder as she walked into the kitchen, expecting to see the two arguing over unimportant things as usual. But tonight, the house was quiet. Which meant something bad had happened. She placed her bag down on the kitchen table as she saw the two of them leaning beside the fridge.

Facing the fridge was her step-mother and standing beside her with his arms crossed was her step-father.

If everything was going right, the two would be arguing about now about her, how she's being raised, and usually by the end of the day she's the one that ends up in trouble over their decisions. She wasn't sure why this was, but she would never be able to argue with an old, rich couple who had hundreds of police officers at the ready if necessary.

But today, the two were staring down at a piece of paper crumbled up in her step-father's hands, the angered look on his face saying it all. Clearly there was something in that letter that upset them both. There was a ripped envelope sitting over on the bench right next to the flour box, some flour sprinkled on it which made her shake her head.

She looked between the two, wondering what was happening that was so horrific for the two of them to be silent. The two had never been this silent before, even in their worst moments.

Her step-mother turned around, noticing the bag land on the table and just stared, not saying a word. She narrowed her eyes before she walked away, leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs to where her room was. Her step-father always noticed her standing there, but didn't take a second glance at her before he chucked the letter in the bin as he followed his wife.

She sighed as she opened up her backpack up and started emptying out her books and papers onto the kitchen table. She proceed to start doing her homework, which ironically had to do with family history.

She struggled to write as she wondered what she should say. She couldn't tell the truth. She couldn't say that her step-mother was a bitter, old woman who was robbed of success in her youth until she volunteered as a nurse and went to war.

She guessed she could write about how her step-father had served in the army under constriction before he retired after coming back home from World War II unharmed. The two met on the battlefield and instantly became close – as close as you can get with bullets raining down every second.

So, as soon as the two came home, they got married and inherited millions of dollars once his father had passed away, leaving him and his new wife with all of the inheritance money. The two quickly brought a huge mansion and lived their lives together as grumpy, old, rich people.

And then to increase their wealth, they went to the adoption agency and tried to find a child or children who could bring them even greater success overseas.

Could she write that she wasn't the child they wanted?

…

She waited until the two drove off in the limo, driving to go to a fancy party being hosted by a well-known medical agency that the two wanted to become partners with. Once they'd left, she walked down the steps and headed into the kitchen. She opened up the bin and uncrumbled the letter, luckily not having to dig through other rubbish and disgusting food scraps.

…

Date: 12.05.2014

Sent: Washington, D.C, United States

To: Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan

Addressed: Rin Marie Hayashi-Bellrose

_Rin – my dearest sister,_

_I know it's been a year or so since I've sent you a letter like this; or have even see you for that matter; but I've been so busy with College and my Law Degree that there just hasn't been any time. By the way, I'm very sorry about this, you have no idea how truly sorry I am._

_So, how have you been? Has school been treating you right? I heard from a few rumours that you got accepted into the elite, private school, Ouran Academy. So, I guess you're following in my footsteps. Do you know how proud I am of you? _

_Though you may not be the most intelligent person in the world – no offense, I promise – I believe you still will be able to do well there. I mean, I'm not the brightest person either, but I still got quite good grades. That might be because teachers are a bit more lenient on people who have connections with the chairman. _

_I also know that he's at that school too. I know that must be hard for you, but you need to know that you deserve so much better than someone like him. If he does anything that bothers you in any way, tell me so I can fly over and kill him._

_Oh, and if you're wondering, America is fantastic. However, it doesn't compare to the exotic France, or even the beautiful Japan, but it does have some incredible landmarks. Like the White House, oh how marvellous it is! I haven't made many friends here as you might have guessed, but if I did I probably wouldn't have any time for them anyway. You know how intrigued I get with studying._

_You know the funny thing is, I still don't feel like I belong here._

_How are they treating you? Are they treating you better than before? I really hope so – maybe getting me out of the picture made them like you more. At least, that's what I hope, but I know it's not reality._

_Oh, and before I forget, I'll be coming back to Japan soon. Isn't that exciting? I'll be back in time for your birthday, I'm sure of it._

_I'll see you in a little while, little sis. _

_Don't miss me too much until then. _

_With love, Ren…_

…

Her eyes started to water as she scanned the words over and over, her heart fluttering at her brother's words. It was almost like a dream. She hadn't received a letter since the first week he'd left, and it was almost breaking her apart whenever she sat in her room, staring at her computer. She had always wondered that if she had written something to him first, he would write back.

But every time she was about to write, everything she wanted to say vanished.

But this time, she would be able to write one.

* * *

The next morning

"We will now begin conducting physical examinations. All students, please go to the clinics in your respective school buildings."

The four first-year students walked down the hallway, the other students filling the hallways as they all headed to get their examinations done.

"So, what is this mission 'formation A' thing?" Haruhi asked. "Just what do they do during physical exams at Ouran?"

"Anywhere you get a physical exam, they usually do a physical exam, right?" Hikaru said.

"It's not right to have any class-based differences in something like this, right?" Kaoru asked.

"Did you expect there to be hundreds of doctors or something?" Rin asked as the four now stood in front of the door leading to the _School Infirmary Room #1. _

"Yeah. I guess that's right, huh?" Haruhi asked as she opened the door. As the bright light faded, there were two lines of people awaiting them. A long line of nurses and a long line of doctors stood with plastic smiles on their faces.

"Come on in," all of them chorused in unison, which meant about three hundred voices in total.

"W-what is this?" Haruhi asked in shock.

"Like we said, a physical exam," Hikaru said with his hands in his pockets as he entered the room.

"Just like always," Kaoru said as he did the same as his older brother.

"Like always?" she asked in disbelief.

"Well, you can't blame me. I've never had one before," Rin said with a shrug as she entered the room, Haruhi following close behind.

"Hitachiin Brothers, if you'll step this way to have your height measured…" a nurse said as she pointed over to the left. Another nurse beside them curtsied.

"Right," they said as them and the two nurses walked off.

"Fujioka-_sama_, I will be accompanying you," a nurse said as she walked over.

"Okay…"

"Come, this way," she said as she grabbed hold of Haruhi's arm and led her down the hallway.

"Miss Hayashi-_san_, come with me and I'll take your height measurements," a nurse said as she walked over with a fake smile on her face.

"Okay," she responded a little nervous as she wondered what else they would be measuring. She noticed this nurse was following the one holding Haruhi, and she sighed a little in relief.

On the way, they noticed two people who stuck out like sore thumbs in the crowd of students. Mori-_senpai_ and Honey-_senpai_, dressed in lab coats and glasses.

"Why are Honey-_senpai_ and Mori-_senpai_?"

"I'm sure there must be a reason for it."

"Let's pretend not to notice and keep quiet."

"Honey-_senpai_! Mori-_senpai_!" Haruhi called out, but the put their index finger to their mouths, shushing her. "Could you be more obvious?"

"Everyone knows it's them," Rin muttered.

"Those two are here to deal with things, in case something happens," Kyoya said as he stood behind the two girls.

"What's the point of their disguises?" Haruhi asked.

"To create the mood. It makes it seem more mission-like, and builds things up, doesn't it?" He adjusted his glasses with a smirk.

"_Miss_ Shiramine, you've lost two whole kilos since last year," a doctor said to a slightly chubby student who was standing on the scales, four nurses surrounding them.

The nurses gasped as they applauded, smiles on their faces. The female student clasped her hands together with sparkles in her eyes.

"Oh? I was sure I had gained weight!"

"Not at all. I would say you're even healthier."

"I have to ask, what is it with all the excessive reception here?" Haruhi asked as she watched the scene.

"That's out of the board superintendent's consideration. This may be a school, but it's also a business. The mood of the students is the highest priority. After all, most of the students at the academy have their own private doctors at home to begin with. This sort of event is just a formality."

"Damn these rich people…" Haruhi muttered under her breath as she followed the nurse.

A scruffy looking man accidentally bumped into Kyoya as he walked past, obviously not paying attention as he wore a white lab coat. "I-I'm terribly sorry," he stuttered.

"No problem," Kyoya said, confusion written on his face as he tried to figure out who the man was. The man stumbled as he looked over at Rin, quickly heading over to her.

"Excuse me _miss_, I'm looking…"

"Hayashi-_san_, we need to get your measurements done," her nurse said as she grabbed hold of Rin's arm, dragging her done the hallway and away from the strange man. The man sighed as he turned and walked down the halls.

"Huh?" Kyoya asked, but the man had already disappeared.

…

Rin sat down on the chairs stationed behind one of the curtained, changing rooms, watching as the other students walked past her to get their measurements done. She sighed with relief once she noticed the twins walking over to her, sitting down in the two empty seats beside her. She had been seated there for the last five minutes by Tamaki with nothing to do, and she was going crazy.

"When does the plan start?" they asked in unison.

"I have no idea, but Tamaki better be here soon," she said as she looked all around for him, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Just when she was about to give up, the twins poked her on the shoulder, pointing over to the furthest changing room from where they were seated. There was Tamaki, hiding behind the yellow curtain as he motioned for her to come over.

"Guess it starts now," she muttered as she stood up and walked over to the changing room. Inside, Kyoya was talking to the nurse standing there while Tamaki jumped with excitement once he saw her.

"So, does the plan start now?" she asked.

"It's now officially underway!" Tamaki announced with joy.

"Here you are, Otori-_san_," the nurse in the room said, handing her a spare uniform and a black clipboard. Rin glanced over at Kyoya, her eyes narrowing at the sight of his unbothered face.

"Explain later. Now get out."

…

The twins, now having two out of three of their physical exams, were still seated on their seats, waiting for something exciting to happen. Hikaru slumped in his chair, more bored than his brother as he started fidgeting. Kaoru was about to start doing the same when Tamaki and Kyoya walked towards them.

Just as Tamaki turned so he could sit down, Hikaru and Kaoru laughed at what they saw on his back. It was a dusted, foot imprint from what they assumed was Rin's shoe. "She kick you out or something?" Kaoru asked with a smirk.

Tamaki stopped with bent knees before he sat down, remembering the "horrific" experience and he went into the corner and sulked.

"This isn't a new development," Kyoya said as he took his blazer off, dusting the shoe mark off before he placed it back on. "She's always had violent tendencies."

"Actually, back in France…"

"Tamaki, now's not the time."

"That's not obvious," Hikaru muttered as he looked away.

"What was that?" Kyoya asked as he pushed his glasses up.

"From what the boss was saying, it's like she only became violent after meeting you."

"Hikaru, what are you saying?" Kaoru asked, curious to know why Hikaru seemed to know so much about Rin.

"And what did I do exactly?"

"You broke up with her because of some stupid reason," he replied as he sent a harsh glare at his direction, making Kyoya glare back. Hikaru wasn't sure why the sudden anger flowed through him, but whenever he thought of Rin and Kyoya together and how upset he made her, it made him want to lunge at Kyoya and beat him to a bloody pulp.

Kaoru had always said that when Hikaru became angry, he was almost unstoppable in his actions. He wouldn't think of what he was saying or what he was doing and just let it take over him.

"How would you know something like that?"

"She was very open about it to me."

"And why do you suddenly care about my relationships."

"I don't, but I…"

"Boys, boys, there's no need to fight over little old me," Rin interrupted as she walked up, holding a clipboard in her hands. She wore the pink dress with the white, frilly apron over the top, the cute pink hat on top of her head and her white stockings and heels making her match the nurse's uniform perfectly.

Tamaki's smile grew as he ran over and gushed. "My little girl! How adorable!"

Rin shook her head as she looked over to Hikaru, sending him a cute smile as his ears grew hot as they turned red. She giggled and walked away from Tamaki, making him pout at being ignored.

"So, are we ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes, we're ready," Kyoya said as he checked his watch, starting to walk down the hallway to the change rooms.

"What was that, by the way? 'Otori-_san_'?" she asked as she quickly caught up with him, watching as he gave a simple shrug.

"Her family is a familiar customer to my family's business. She wouldn't have handed you that uniform if you weren't somewhat related to me."

"How'd you convince her you were related?" Kaoru asked as they caught up.

"You two are nothing alike," Hikaru said as he gently grabbed Rin's ponytail, showing the difference between her blonde hair and his dark hair. She gave Hikaru a smile as she gently touched his hand, him releasing her hair once he'd felt her soft fingertips on his.

"I said she's a half-sister, one conceived through an affair between my father and another woman."

"Won't that make your dad look bad?" Rin asked.

"That doesn't concern me much anymore," he said as he adjusted his glasses, walking faster as he led the way for the others. Rin shook her head as she and the twins followed, the three walking in a straight line.

"W-wait for me!" Tamaki called as he pushed himself off the ground and ran after them, noticing the whispers coming from all the students they passed as they wondered what the Host Club had in store for them today.

…

"Hitachiin-_sama_, if you'll step this way now, we'll measure your chest," one of the nurses said as she gestured to the yellow, curtained room behind her. There was a hoard of girls surrounding the area, all in the hopes of seeing the two boys shirtless. "Please use the area behind this curtain to undress."

"Doesn't matter to me," Hikaru said as he unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it off his shoulders as he revealed the top half of his body.

"We don't need a curtain," Kaoru said with a smirk as he did the same, the girls squealing in delight as the sight of their uncovered skin. Some of them even fainted at the sight.

And Rin wasn't going to lie as her cheeks reddened at the sight of a certain auburn haired twin shirtless. Haruhi on the other hand, had a mixture of emotions – including confusion, shock and disgust at the screaming girls.

"Actually, these physical exam events are incredibly popular," Kyoya continued with a fake smile on his face as everyone continued to stare.

"The girls at this academy are such…" Haruhi trailed off as the scene with the twins continued.

"I won't allow it. Even if they are doctors, I won't let them touch your body," Hikaru whispered into his brother's ear, just loud enough for the crowd of fangirls to hear.

"What are you talking about? When we're at home, you always say you're playing doctor and exhaustively amuse yourself with my body."

The girls crowded around even more as their squeals got even louder.

The Host Club on travelling business

"Come on Haru-_chan_, this way!" Honey-_senpai_ called.

"W-what?" Haruhi asked as she was suddenly grabbed by Mori-_senpai_ and Honey-_senpai_ and dragged across the room.

"Alright you two, that's enough," Rin said as she regained her composure, walking over to the two of them as she picked up their discarded shirts. "Why don't you leave something for the imagination?"

She quickly chucked their shirts at them as all the girls whispered to each other, some jealous of how close she was to them and others wanting to be her.

"Don't deny it, you liked it too," the twins said in unison as the nurse finally took their chest measurements. She made sure they put their shirts back on after the procedure was finished as she walked away to go measure someone else.

"When did I say I didn't?" Rin asked with a smirk, making Hikaru's ears burn as they started to turn red. She giggled at the sight, making some of the girls awe at how cute they were, even though they wanted to be in her position. "By the way, can someone tell me why I'm wearing this uniform?"

"Tamaki," the remaining Host Club members said in unison, all of them in the same monotone voice. She sighed as she shook her head.

"I wish I was regarded as something other than something for men to stare at," she said as she folded her arms, feeling self-conscious as she saw some of her usual guests walking past and staring.

_If only you knew, _Hikaru thought as he stared at her, his gaze softening as a frown made its way onto her face. Kaoru shook his head as he stared at his brother who was obviously not aware of how obvious he was being.

"You'll need it for one small task, one that could have possibly been done without your help anyway," Kyoya said as he adjusted his glasses, making Rin raise an eyebrow as she wondered what that comment meant.

…

Haruhi was pushed through the yellow curtain as she flew through, masculine arms wrapping around her and she gasped as she bumped into the man's chest.

"I've been waiting for you, my princess," Tamaki whispered into her ear as he pulled her as close as he could. Haruhi quickly spun around in shock, stumbling as she fell to her hands and knees.

"Tamaki-_senpai_…" Haruhi said, confusion written all over her face.

"That look of surprise is so cute." He gushed as he held his hands to his face. Haruhi had a frown on her face – a question floating above her head wouldn't have been needed to show how confused she was.

"Fujioka-_sama_," she could hear Rin call from outside of the curtain. "_God this is weird_," she muttered before she started going back to her script. "It's time to measure your chest. Once you have gotten yourself ready, please step this way."

"Next up is Haruhi-_kun_!"

"I've never seen him before."

"The inevitable moment has arrived," Tamaki said as he stood up, slowly unbuttoning his white shirt. "Okay, Haruhi, you wait here."

"What are you going to do? Why was Rin…?"

Tamaki placed his finger gently against her lips, stopping her from talking as he shushed her. "It's all right. I'll protect you."

Haruhi sat in shock, her eyes widening as she remained speechless, the words she wanted to say trailing off as she just stared.

"I am going to protect you," he said again as he walked around her, standing right behind the curtain as he continued to unbutton his shirt.

"Fujioka-_sama_, are you ready yet?" Rin asked again as she hid her face, hating the fact that she had to ask for Haruhi's measurements, which was very weird considering the two were friends. This was all Tamaki's fault that she felt so uncomfortable.

All of the girls surrounding them waited in anticipation, all waiting to see Haruhi shirtless, which was a weird thought considering she was actually a girl. All of them were silent as they stared at the curtain, waiting for it to open.

"Yes," Tamaki said as he opened the curtain, revealing himself to the crowd of girls. "I am Fujioka Haruhi." The only thing different about him was that he was wearing a brown wig, similar to Haruhi's hairstyle and colour.

"Huh? Tamaki-_sama_?"

"Any way you look at it, that's Tamaki-_sama_."

"Is this Haruhi-_kun_ cosplay?"

"What does Tamaki-_sama_ mean by this?"

The room fell into silence as everyone processed the sight in front of them. Haruhi had collapsed in the room, speechless as she tried to hold back all the angered thoughts she wanted to express. Finally, the silence was broken as the twins broke out into insane laughter, making the girls around them giggle. Even Rin had to cover her mouth to try and not let out the amount of laughter her body wanted to.

"He actually went through with it!" Hikaru said in between his laughter, tears falling from his eyes at how hard he was laughing.

"They saw through it! I told you they'd see through it!" Kaoru yelled as he held onto his stomach, tears falling from his eyes as well.

As the laughter of the girls' grew, Tamaki's face grew red as he screamed in embarrassment, grabbing the brown wig and chucking it off his head and onto the ground. "You guys!" he screamed as he grabbed hold of Hikaru by the neck, almost choking him in the process. "You guys said there was no way they'd see through it!"

"Just a little payback for calling us the homo-homo supporting cast!"

"I'm surprised it actually worked," Rin muttered to herself as Tamaki made his way over to the curtain, peeking through to see Haruhi with her back facing him, her hair hiding her face.

"I'm sorry. They found out," he said nervously.

Haruhi whipped her head around, her eyes filled with fire as Tamaki screamed in distress as he moved away from the curtain. Haruhi's eyes sent electric shocks through his body from the sheer amount of anger she held inside.

Twenty minutes to two

Haruhi sighed. _He does just live in his own carefree world after all, huh?_

Rin's heels clicked on the tiles as she walked through the curtain, bending down and placing her hand on Haruhi's shoulder. Haruhi turned her head, suddenly taking in the sight of Rin's nurse uniform.

"Rin…what are you…?"

"Everything is going according to plan," Rin said as she smiled, turning her head to see Kyoya walking through the curtain.

"Okay, Haruhi, I've set up a special boys' clinic in a separate room, where I have a doctor sworn to secrecy standing by," he said, making Haruhi's eyes widened.

"All of the doctors assembled here today are from Kyoya-_senpai_'s family's hospital," Hikaru said with a shrug.

"Kyoya-_senpai_, you could have said something sooner," Kaoru said as he shrugged.

"It's the same as what you did. This is just a little of my own payback for having been called the homo-homo supporting cast."

"Is something the matter?" one of the girls asked as they crowded around Tamaki, who stood in the middle of the open room as his body completely turned white.

"Tamaki-_sama_ is eroding away."

"Fantastic!"

"Haruhi is…angry…" Tamaki asked himself as tears went down his face, his body seeming to fade away as he felt himself not being able to move.

…

"Special Boys' Clinic"

Haruhi knocked on the door as she stood in the silent hallway, waiting for a reply behind the door. "Yes?" the person behind it asked, making Haruhi open the door to see a woman with glasses and her brown hair tied up, wearing a doctor's lab coat.

"Fujioka-_san_? I'm aware of your situation. Please take off your clothes over there."

"Okay," Haruhi said with a nod as she walked into the room, closing the door behind her as she walked over to the curtained room.

…

"Hayashi-_sama_, it's time for your chest measurements," the nurse from before said with a smile as she walked over to the hosts, a clipboard in her hands. If she was surprised by the uniform she was wearing, she didn't show it as she lead the way down the hallway and into one of the curtained rooms.

"It's the truth!"

The Host Club turned around to see a girl sobbing as a crowd of people surrounded them, a doctor staring as a nurse tried to comfort the crying girl.

"One of the doctors grabbed my shoulder, and tried to pull something funny on me! I was so very terrified!"

"Wow, how scary."

"I wonder if he was a pervert."

"It's early spring, so we have to watch out."

"I knew it," Kyoya muttered as he adjusted his glasses, making the remaining members turn to him.

"Knew what?" Honey-_senpai_ asked.

"That man I saw earlier. He was wearing a white coat, but he was clearly not one of our hospital's doctors, so I thought it was a little strange."

"Then you should have said something sooner!" the twins said.

"Well, the security guards will catch him soon enough."

…

Rin slowly slipped the dress off her as she stood behind the yellow curtain, keeping her white stockings on underneath for at least a little bit of cover. She was glad she always wore shorts underneath her school dresses, including the nurse's uniform she had currently been wearing.

She heard the sound of the curtain opening, making her suddenly cover herself up as she turned around to see who it was. It turned out to be a man with scruffy brown hair and a white lab coat, the same man who had tried talking to her before. He closed the curtain behind him, making her heart start to race as panic started to flow through her veins.

"Excuse me! Get out of here!" Rin yelled as she tried as best as she could to cover her body up. Her sudden voice made him gasp as he looked around, moving closer and covering her mouth when she was about to scream.

"Please, don't scream," he pleaded, sorrow in his eyes. "I'm looking for…"

Not knowing what else to do as she struggled, she bit down on one of his fingers, making him yelp as he removed his hand, holding it in pain as he stared down at the teeth marks on his index finger.

"Get away from me!" Rin yelled, catching someone's attention from outside.

"Is everything alright in there, Hayashi-_sama_?" the nurse asked, making the man panic. The man ran to the other side of the room, away from the nurse standing outside as he ran through the curtains and down the hallway.

The nurse came in, noticing her horrified expression as there were tears forming in her eyes from the thought of what could have happened to her. The nurse quickly rushed over, knowing she needed to get the measurements down quickly so she could try and help the girl.

The nurse helped her put the uniform on before she opened the curtain, helping the shaking Rin out of the room and back over to the Hosts.

"Excuse me, Otori-_sama_," the nurse said as she walked over, an arm wrapped around Rin's shoulder as she kept her stare down on the ground.

The Hosts turned and saw her, their eyes widening in shock.

"What happened?" he asked as he looked Rin up and down.

Hikaru felt his heart breaking as he watched her shaking as the tears remained in her eyes. He walked over, knowing his actions were very unlike him, as he tapped the nurse on the shoulder. She gave him a nod as she let go of Rin, letting her crumble into Hikaru's chest as she tried to get herself back to normal. He wrapped his arms around her as he tried to calm her down, though it was a little awkward as he had never done this before.

"A man came into the room while she was…changing," the nurse said as she noticed the other sobbing girl on the other side of the room. "Probably the same man."

The doctor nearby had heard her and rushed over, as did the crowd of girls as they all noticed Rin. Some of them went over and tried to help Hikaru calm her down, but she didn't need them as the warmth of Hikaru's arms were helping her better than what they could do.

"So then, did you see which way this pervert doctor went?" the doctor asked, making the nurse shake her head. One of the girls gasped as she remembered something, remembering seeing a man walking past who didn't look like the other doctors.

"Yes," she said, making everyone turn to her. "He ran off toward the special boys' clinic."

"Haruhi!" the hosts exclaimed, including Tamaki who had suddenly returned back to normal.

…

Haruhi undid her tie as she unbuttoned her shirt, slipping it off her shoulders to reveal her pink undershirt. Her eyes widened once she'd heard the curtain's open, seeing a man with brown, dishevelled hair enter the room, making sure the female doctor wasn't watching as he closed the curtain's behind him.

"Um…" Haruhi said. The man gasped as he turned around, slamming his hand down onto her mouth, hoping that this one wouldn't bite. Haruhi noticed the bite marks on his finger, which made her even more worried.

"I-it's not what you think!" the man said. "Please don't scream!"

"Haruhi!" Tamaki screamed, making her eyes widened as the man turned around and gasped. "Teddy-bear kick!" he screamed as he flew through the curtains, kicking the man in the face. The man smashed into the wall, his head knocked back as a cloud of dust surrounded him.

"One…Looks that attract the public eye," the twins said as they entered the room.

"Two…Undaunted wealth," Kyoya said with a smirk.

"Three, chivalry that cannot overlook…" Mori-_senpai_ started.

"…The hideous wickedness of the world," Honey-_senpai_ finished.

Tamaki removed his shirt as he placed it on Haruhi's hand, covering her even more as he stood beside her. "We, the Ouran Host Club…"

"…Will see you now!" the Hosts said in unison.

"Please, at least spare my life!" the man screamed as he bent down on his knees as he bowed, pleading with his life as he was terrified beyond belief.

Rin walked up behind Haruhi and placed her hand on her shoulder, giving her a knowing look as Haruhi's eyes widened. She quickly realised that it was Rin who had bitten down on the man's hand, and Haruhi gave a worried glance as she noticed Rin's tear stained face and puffy eyes. Rin shook her head and gave her a reassuring smile as Haruhi stared at the other Hosts around her.

…

"I run a small internal medicine clinic in the next town over," the man said as he stared down at the ground. "My name is Yabu."

Suddenly, it's his life story

"Yabu, he says, Yabu!" Hikaru said.

"Incredible! There really is a doctor out there…" Kaoru started.

"…named 'Dr. Yabu'," they finished in unison.

Yabu = quack doctor

"Yes. The truth is, I wanted to see my daughter, who left home with my wife last month and ended up coming to her school here."

"Why did your wife and daughter leave you?" Haruhi asked.

"Well, you see…"

_Yabu Internal Medicine Clinic_

"_I'm sick of this! You guaranteed someone's loan yet again!?" his wife asked with anger as she stared at her husband, empty bottles of liquor surrounding him. "You promised us you wouldn't do that anymore, didn't you!?"_

"_No, this time, the guy will be fine. We can trust him. It'll be all right."_

"_I can't take this anymore!" his daughter said, wearing her blue, middle school uniform. "Dad, you never think about the family!" The two packed their bags as they headed out the door. "I'm going home to Mother!"_

"_W-wait!" he screamed._

"So you see, not only am I terribly inept at management, I can't say no to anyone, and so they refused to put up with living in debt all the time. If nothing else, I wanted to see my daughter one more time, and so, pelted by rain, and wandering the streets, I finally arrived at this school, where, for some reason, I was mistaken for a doctor giving physical exams."

"That's because you're wearing a white coat," Hikaru said.

"Anyone would mistake you," Kaoru said.

"And after all that…"

"_Excuse me! Get out of here!" Rin yelled as she tried as best as she could to cover her body up._

"_Please, don't scream," he pleaded, sorrow in his eyes. "I'm looking for…"_

_Not knowing what else to do as she struggled, she bit down on one of his fingers, making him yelp as he removed his hand, holding it in pain as he stared down at the teeth marks on his index finger._

"_Get away from me!" Rin yelled, catching someone's attention from outside._

"When I tried to ask you about my daughter, you screamed and bit down on my hand, and before I knew it, I had people chasing after me!"

"How tragic!" Tamaki yelled, tears following down his cheeks.

"Sorry, I thought you were trying to…" Rin trailed off.

"By any chance, is the school you're looking for Ouran Public High School?" Kyoya asked, breaking the awkward atmosphere as Yabu and Tamaki stopped crying. Yabu nodded.

"That's right."

"Then you have the wrong school. This is Ouran Academy. This is not your daughter's school."

"You don't even know the location of the school where your daughter goes?" Hikaru asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't just the debt, but things such as this which they got fed up with you over," Kaoru said.

"Kyo-_chan_, I'm impressed that you knew he had the wrong school," Honey-_senpai_ said as they all started at Kyoya.

"There's no way a girl supported by such a small clinic as his could have gotten into Ouran here, right?" Kyoya asked with a smirk, making Haruhi frown.

"Kyoya, provide this man a map to the public school in the next town over," Tamaki said, the dramaticness fading and seriousness taking over, surprising both Haruhi and Kyoya.

"All right," he said as he walked away.

…

Yabu turned around as he looked at the giant window in the building behind him, giving them a nod as he headed down the path towards the giant, black gates of Ouran.

All of the Hosts stood at the open window, watching as the cherry blossoms coated the path Yabu was walking down as the bright, blue sky shined down on him, almost like his word was brightening thanks to the Host Club.

"You're sure about this?" Hikaru asked.

"After all, even if they do see each other, I'm sure his daughter will have still given up on him," Kaoru said.

"That is something that he will have to find out for himself," Tamaki said as he continued to stare out the window. He watched as a white kite flying in the sky, almost sky-rocketing into the clouds which almost brought a smile to his face.

"Excuse me, everyone, but could I ask you to leave?" Haruhi asked.

"Haruhi, are you still angry?" Tamaki asked as he panicked. "You're not thinking of quitting the Host Club, are you?"

"I still have to undergo the rest of my physical exam, right?" Haruhi said with a smile on her face. "As a male student?" She noticed the Hosts staring at her and suddenly became flustered. "Oh, but not because you're plying me with food. It's to pay back my debt."

Tamaki gasped as his cheeks reddened, making him leap at her as she screamed as he clung onto her. "Haruhi, you're so cute! The truth is, for someone who just wants to have some fancy tuna, there's something great about you pretending to be someone you're not!"

"Please, don't do that! Ah, don't touch me there!" Haruhi screamed.

"Tamaki, what is wrong with you?" Rin yelled.

"Red card!" the twins exclaimed in unison.

"This man…" Hikaru started.

"…Is the real pervert!" Kaoru finished.

"Whatever, just get out of here!" Haruhi screamed.

* * *

Haruhi: _Senpai_, is it true that there's a new girl joining the Host Club?

Tamaki: Don't be so surprised. What's more, I hear that she's Kyoya's fiancée.

Haruhi: Next time, "_Attack of the Lady Manager"._

Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR:**

"Renge – The Host's New Manager"

{Episode Four - Attack of the Lady Manager}

* * *

_Miyabi: I love you. You're all I can think about. Let's spend the rest of our lives together, just the two of us._

A young, teenage boy in a beige uniform, a red scarf wrapped around his neck as he adjusted his glasses appeared on the screen, waiting for the answer. There were two options on the screen to choose from:

"_I'm so happy, Miyabi-kun"_

"_I can't right now…"_

"I'm so happy, Miyabi-_kun_," the girl whispered, a game controller in her hands as she stared in admiration at the boy on the television screen, pressing the button to select her option. Her room was covered in dolls, Photoshoped pictures of her and him, action figures and many other merchandise with his face on it. The T.V screen lightened up the darkened room, even though the sun was shining bright outside the room.

"_Miss_? The _Master_ has returned home," a voice spoke from outside the door, giving a quiet knock so the girl knew who it was. "_Miss_?"

There was no reply from the girl inside as she was too invested into her game to hear anything else. The door opened, two figures staring into the darkened room as they found her sitting on the chair with her knees to her chest.

"Renge…Renge, you really do love those games, huh?" the _Master_ asked with a sigh as he watched her continue her game.

"Is that so wrong?" she asked in monotone, never taking her eyes off the screen.

"Your father wants you to live your life free and at ease, Renge, however you want to live it. If there's anything you want to do, I'll let you do it. I promise."

"Sure."

…

Paris, France

"How was your business in Japan?" she asked as she took a sip of her tea. The two were seated at a small table in the room, the giant window beside them showing the extravagant Eiffel Tower.

"It should turn out well. Oh, right, last week, I had dinner in the home of one of my clients. Here. This is a photograph from it." He handed his daughter the picture he had taken as she stared at it. "They had a boy in high school, too."

Her hands started shaking as she continued to stare at the picture, her eyes widening. "Father…" She slammed her hands down on the table as she pushed her chair back, shoving the photo in her father's face. "I am going to marry him!"

Her father's jaw dropped as he stared in shock.

"Please keep that promise you made to me earlier, Father!" She suddenly got giddy as she ran in between rooms, packing all of her things into bags as she changed her outfit.

"H-hey, Renge…"

"Just you wait, my prince!" She squealed as she ran out the door; a few seconds later the private plan taking off right outside the house.

"Renge!" her father called as he gazed out the window. "Renge!"

* * *

The Host Club is now open for business

"Tamaki-_kun_…Tamaki-_kun_, why is that you are so beautiful?"

"Because I want to catch your eye, if only for one second longer."

"Why is it that your voice is so mellow?"

"So that my feelings might reach your heart."

"Why is it that you look at me with such moist eyes?"

"Because your fresh, young smile makes the spring in my heart overflow."

"Tamaki-_kun_…" all three sighed dreamily as they stared at the smile on his face, tears in his eyes, but they never dropped.

"The two of you would wear matching kimonos, huh?"

"The ones that everyone is wearing today were designed by our mother," Hikaru said. "If you like, we can take your order."

"It was our grandmother that dressed us, though," Kaoru informed.

"And of course, it's my task to undress you, Kaoru."

"Hikaru…You're embarrassing me, in front of the others…"

"What a tender embrace!"

"They're up to their nonsense again," Haruhi said as she watched from afar, rolling her eyes at their usual antics.

"Haruhi-_kun_! You look so cute in your kimono."

"You almost look like a girl in it."

"Yeah…" Haruhi trailed off.

"Haruhi, you've been requested," Kyoya said as he finished writing something down on an old scroll with black ink. "Your clients have pretty well stabilised lately, haven't they? Keep it up. We're not planning to charge interest on the original debt you incurred, so just keep working hard, and pay it off. The rental fee for that kimono is nothing to sneeze at, after all."

_Who is this guy, the crooked magistrate? _Haruhi thought.

"Kyoya-_sama_…"

"You're just too much, in that kimono. Are there any new photo collections of the Host Club coming out?"

"Unfortunately, nothing is scheduled at present."

"The club makes much of its money…" Hikaru started.

"…From the sale of promotional items, right?" Kaoru finished.

"The promotional items themselves are poor. The photo collections are just amateur hidden camera shots. In order to draw even more for the club's expenses out of the school budget, we have to start coming up with some higher-quality products."

_It's only because of him that this club can operate without going bankrupt._

"Haru-_chan_, Haru-_chan_…" Honey-_senpai_ whimpered. "I lost one of my sandals."

"You were just wearing them a while ago, weren't you?" Haruhi asked as she walked over, feeling a little saddened at the sight of Honey-_senpai_ bursting into tears.

"Mitsukuni…" He bent down and gently placed the lost sandal on Honey-_senpai_'s foot.

"Takashi…"

"It was lying over there."

"Takashi!" Honey-_senpai_ cried as he jumped into Mori-_senpai_'s awaiting arms.

"Fantastic!" the girls squealed.

"It is fantastic!"

"Oh Rin, you look so cute!" one of the males gushed as she walked over.

"You really think so?" she asked with a smile as she spun around, admiring the kimono she was dressed in.

"Of course," the three responded at once.

"You know, that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me," she whispered as tears formed in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks as the three gasped as they went over to comfort her.

"These tearful scenes seem to be spreading," Haruhi said. "How is it that everyone can get so weepy so suddenly?"

Without noticing that there was someone standing beside her, she bumped into the back of Kaoru as she stumbled, something falling of the sleeve in his kimono.

Of course, it was eye drops.

"This?" Haruhi asked as she picked it up.

"I should let you know, it's a common practice for a host," Kaoru said.

"There isn't a girl around who won't swoon over moist eyes," Hikaru said.

"That's cheating."

"Oh, don't be so rigid."

Haruhi felt a touch on the shoulder, making her turn to see Rin, whose eyes were filled with tears. Haruhi rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the sight of her. "Using the eye drops too?" she asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rin said as she dapped her eyes, her breaths ragged as she tried to calm down. Haruhi's eyes widened when she noticed that Rin had no access to the eye drops the others had been using.

"Are you actually crying?" she asked, making Hikaru's eyes widen as a mixture of anger and concern filled his body. He quickly rushed over to Rin, grabbing her by the shoulders as he raised her chin, allowing him to see her reddened eyes.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice low and laced with venom. "What happened?" He looked over to the male guests in the room, sending them one of the harshest glares he had ever delivered.

"Hikaru, I'm not actually crying," she whispered as she gently grabbed his hand holding her chin, removing it from her face as she linked her hand with his. "No one hurt me…Aren't the tears supposed to be popular with the guests today?"

Hikaru was speechless for one of the first times in his life. He had gone out of control and had almost killed those boys who hadn't done anything wrong, just because she had shown up with tears in her eyes. He knew that this wasn't just some simple little crush, it was something deeper than that. And it kind of scared him, if he was honest.

"You're very sweet to care though, Hikaru," she whispered as she touched his cheek, a sweet smile on her face as her cheeks turned red. She had never felt this much love before from another person, besides her brother. There was no way she was going to let him get away from her.

"Do you two need a room?" Kaoru asked as he gave the two a smirk, making Haruhi roll her eyes.

"Oh shush," Hikaru said as he smacked his brother on the arm, his ears fully red and burning hot.

"You're ears are red," Haruhi pointed out, making Kaoru laugh. Hikaru sent an embarrassed look at Rin, who just shrugged back at him as Kaoru continued to make fun of the pair and how unsubtle the two were about their feelings. But yet, somehow, the other wasn't fully aware at how hard they had fallen.

…

"This if for you," Kaoru said as he handed Haruhi a pink sweet inside a glass container and placed it into her open palms.

"I can have this?" she asked, curious as to their intentions.

"How charming!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Haruhi-_kun_, you like confections?" one of the guests asked.

"No, I'm not much for sweets. Still, it might be nice as a memorial offering for my mother."

"How admirable of you!" Tamaki cried as he rushed over, blush coating his cheeks. "Such devotion to your mother! Here, Haruhi, take as many as you like!" He piled on about five more of the same sweet into her hands with a smile on his face.

"Are those fake tears, too?" Haruhi asked, making Tamaki gasp in horror.

"How can you say that? My tears are always genuine. Being able to cry without using eye drops is the mark of a true host." He turned back around to Haruhi with a huge smile on his face. "Well? Are you impressed? Have you fallen for me anew?"

"Not really."

"My overtures just don't seem to reach you, huh Haruhi? Perhaps I should alter my character somewhat."

He trailed off once he noticed a figure standing behind one of the pillars of the room, the infamous yellow dress sticking out as she peaked around the pillar to see them. Her light brown hair was held back by a giant, pink bow, making her stick out even more than before.

Everyone else in the room had already noticed her.

"Huh? We have a brand-new guest," the twins stated in unison, both reaching the same conclusion as they both moved closer to the girl, both holding red roses in their hands along with their trademark smirks.

"What are you waiting for? Come on in," Kaoru said.

"It isn't any fun to just watch," Hikaru said.

"Come on."

They pushed the roses closer to her, making her blush as she took a step back. "U-Um…" she stuttered.

"Hey, I'm always telling you to be more courteous to our first-time guests, aren't I?" Tamaki asked as he moved closer to her, also holding a red rose. "Here, don't be afraid, my princess." He extended out his hand as he gently touched her chin. "Welcome to Ouran Host Club."

"N-" She stuttered as she looked down at the ground.

"N-?" Tamaki asked, right as she raised her hand and smacked him right in the face. His eyes filled with tears from the pain as his whole face turned red.

"No! Don't touch me, you phony!"

"I'm…a phony?"

"Yes! You're a phony! I can't believe that you are the prince figure in this club! The prince character doesn't go spreading his love around so readily! How can you be so _stupid_!? It's almost like you're a dim-witted _narcissist_! _Incompetent_! _Mediocre_! The _pits_!"

Those words stabbed into him like a sharp knife, sending him groaning in agony. Then, he was electrocuted by a single yellow lightning bolt as he screamed, slowly falling backwards.

"Oh, it's a new technique!" Hikaru said.

"One-man slow-motion!" Kaoru continued, right as Tamaki slammed down onto the ground.

"By any chance, are you…?" Kyoya trailed off.

The girl suddenly gasped as tears filled her eyes at the sight of him, making her cheeks redden. "Kyoya-_sama_!" she cried as she ran forward, jumping on top of Tamaki's body as she leaped onto Kyoya's body, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I've wanted to meet you. My own prince."

…

Music Room #3

"Fiancée?" Rin asked, wondering why anyone would want to be anywhere near the guy romantically. But she assumed that was because of how bad her experiences had been with him. From afar, she could see why some people might want to be in that relationship. She had been one of them, after all.

"Kyoya-_senpai_'s?" the twins asked in unison, thinking the same sort of thing.

"Yes. My name is Hoshakuji Renge. I will be transferring into 1st-Year, Class A tomorrow." She was currently seated in the middle of the grand, red couch with a tea cup in front of her, a batch of red roses in a vase to her left.

Tamaki, at that moment, was sitting in the corner once again, the depression setting over him as he kept thinking back to that "horrid" moment from earlier.

"Look, he's mad," Hikaru said as all the Hosts seemed to ignore Renge as they kept their eyes on Tamaki.

"That's because Mommy was hiding something from Daddy," Kaoru said.

"You're sure it's not because of all the things she called him?" Rin asked.

"Whatever. Are you trying to make this married couple thing stick?" Kyoya asked.

Tamaki = Daddy

Kyoya = Mommy

"It is indeed love at first sight," Renge exclaimed. "The way you were adoring those flowers by yourself in the back courtyard, even when no one else was looking…And the way you kindly reached out to that injured little kitty…"

"Are you delusional?" Rin asked.

"Who are we talking about?" the twins asked.

"Could you have the wrong person?" Haruhi asked.

"No! You can't fool these eyes! He's someone who is kind to everyone, and yet does not seek to have anyone take notice of him. He loves solitude, but is actually, lonesome. The one who looks just like the star of the currently popular love simulation game, 'Uki-doki Memorial,' Ichijo Miyabi-_kun_, and that's you!"

"Uki?" Haruhi asked. Uki = high-spirited.

"Doki?" Honey-_senpai_ asked. Doki = heart-pounding.

"What is that?" Rin asked as she tilted her head.

"An otaku!" Tamaki screamed.

"She's an otaku!" Hikaru shouted.

Mori-_senpai_ remained blank.

"I've never seen one before!" Kaoru screeched.

"I see now," Kyoya said. "You're infatuated with a character. You're projecting the character infatuation onto me, going so far as to delude yourself that we are engaged. This Miyabi-_kun_ character probably wears glasses too, right?"

"Whoa, deluded, you say?" Tamaki asked. "Then, that story about her being your fiancée…"

"I don't remember ever acknowledging that. For one thing, I've never even met her before today."

All of the Host Club members groaned in annoyance.

You could have said so sooner.

"According to my information, Kyoya-_sama_, I understand that you administer everything about this club," Renge said as she stared at him with sparkles in her eyes and a huge grin on her face.

"That's right. Kyo-_chan_ is our director," Honey-_senpai_ said.

"The director? That's perfect! I've always dreamed of being the drawing card for someone's business."

"We don't need one. We're a host club, after all," the twins commented.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to be this host club's manager!"

She's not listening.

"Hey, Kyoya…" Tamaki trailed off once he noticed Kyoya's smirk.

"She's the daughter of a client that's important to the Otori family. I ask that you be sure not to do anything impolite."

For whatever reason, it's the birth of a lady manager.

"Everyone, it's going to be a pleasure," Renge said with a smile.

"Do you include my precious daughter?" Tamaki asked, making Rin groan.

"Daughter? You're a bit young to have having a…"

"No, he's not my father. He's just as deluded as you are…" She noticed Kyoya's glare and retracted her statement. "I also work in the Host Club."

"Oh, pleasure to meet you. Are you the maid, or the cook?"

"Am I supposed to be offended by that comment or not? No, I'm a female host, I entertain the male students. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Yes, of course. This is supposed to be a host club! This is all wrong. How can a female be part of a host club? Did you join this club so you could get closer to Kyoya-_sama_?"

"No, I didn't-"

"I will not allow for this. You will not take Kyoya-_sama_ away from me!"

_And this is why I don't have many female friends, they're all delusional…_

* * *

The next day

"I thought about it all last night, and having a lady manager might not be all that bad," Tamaki said during the group meeting.

"Why do you say that?" the twins asked.

"Don't you see? She has transferred into the same class as Haruhi. If the two both become friends as girls, Haruhi might become more girlish. The uniquely girlish air of tenderness about her could stimulate Haruhi's own sense of femininity."

"Good grief…" Haruhi muttered.

"Sorry Haruhi, guess I'm not doing too well as a girl," Rin said as she gave her a pat on the back.

"This is a grand-scale project in order to stir Haruhi up to be more girly! Only having these two disreputable twins as close classmates, is not good for Haruhi. And those two have influenced Rin so much that she has lost most of her femininity as well."

"That's not rude at all," Rin muttered sarcastically.

"That's telling us, all right," the twins said with raised eyebrows.

"People…" Renge started as she opened the door, popping her head into the room. "Renge, your Host Club drawing card, has baked some cookies."

"Oh…how ladylike! I'm so moved!" Tamaki gushed.

"I didn't bake them for you, you phony prince. Or that man-stealer over there."

Tamaki gasped in horror as he went into the corner once again. Rin shook her head as she glared at the deluded girl, wondering how she could live her life being that far away from reality.

"Please, I don't want him. He's all yours."

"They're a little bit burnt, but I know what you're going to say, Kyoya-_sama_."

_Miyabi: Anything you make is going to be delicious, of course._

"Oh, Kyoya-_sama_…"

"You're right, these are burnt," Honey-_senpai_ said, his mouth filled with one of the choc-chip cookies.

"Mitsukuni, stop. They're bad for you," Mori-_senpai_ said, making Renge stop fangirling and turn into Medusa. She hissed and screamed as she chased after the two, chasing them all around the room.

"She's scaring me!" Honey-_senpai_ cried.

Haruhi held a batch of the cookies in her hands, contained in a tissue. She got curious and took one, taking a bite of the burnt cookie. "They're savoury, and not all that bad."

"Clearly you've never tasted a good cookie before," Rin muttered, which earned her a glare from Renge – or Medusa.

"Let me see…" Hikaru said with a smirk as he took a bite of the cookie that was still inside Haruhi's mouth, which made Tamaki's body turn white in horror.

"Oh, Haruhi, you have cookie crumbs on your face," Kaoru said as he bent down to her cheek, licking off the cookie crumbs as she squirmed in discomfort.

Then, Tamaki snapped. He was screaming out nonsense as he pointed at the three of them, trying to get Kyoya for help.

"Before anyone realised it, they've become a congenial classmate trio," Kyoya said.

"Yeah, I'm here too," Rin muttered, rolling her eyes.

"You know, if you'd just say so, I could get them off myself," Haruhi said. "And if you wanted one, they're right here."

"Y-y-your reaction is all wrong!" Tamaki screamed as he grabbed hold of her face. "This is where you're supposed to rebuff them, and casually brush them aside!"

"Please stop sexually harassing me, _Senpai_."

"Harassing you!? If I'm harassing you, then they're twice as guilty! Aah! Police!"

"Okay, okay, sir, we're sorry."

"Tamaki's right, for once," Rin said as she stood off to the side, catching their attention. Tamaki's eyes lit up at her compliment. "If she was anyone else, they would have reported you to the police for that."

"Yeah, you tell those hooligans!" Tamaki cheered.

"Sometimes, you're not any better."

"Is this sexual harassment?" Hikaru asked with a smirk as he walked closer to her, making her back away until she had reached the wall. He placed his hand beside her head as he bent his head down, reaching very close to her lips as her cheeks reddened. She could feel his breath on her face as he pressed his body closer; Tamaki screaming in the background.

"Well, it would be if I didn't enjoy it so much," she whispered as she grabbed hold of his tie, pulling her even closer – if that was possible, with a smirk on her face. As she stared into his eyes, she had to fight the urge to just tilt her head a little to touch his lips with hers. She could tell he was thinking the same thing as his glanced moved from her eyes to her lips.

But, Tamaki got there just before they were about to as he grabbed hold of Hikaru and dragged him away, shaking him back and forth as he screamed a bunch of nonsense into his face.

"Tamaki, calm down," Rin said as she rushed over, trying to calm him down.

"Boss, we're sorry," Kaoru said, knowing all too well how unsorry Hikaru was of his little stunt just then with Rin.

At the other side of the room, Renge was watching with her hand on her chin, watching their antics with a glare on her face.

"Renge-_chan_, Renge-_chan_…" Honey-_senpai_ said, making her look down at the small, third year boy. "Want some milk?"

"Too tepid…" Renge muttered. "It's all too tepid!"

The Host members quickly stopped whatever they were doing as they gasped. "Except for Kyoya-_sama_, all of your characters are too lackluster! All of you hosts are lacking a 'dark' side! Girls are vulnerable to handsome young men going through trauma! And men are vulnerable too attractive young woman who need to be rescued! If you keep carrying on in this ridiculous manner, it's only a matter of time before everyone grows tired of it! Are you trying to ruin Kyoya-_sama_'s precious business!? As manager, starting today, I'm changing all of your character backgrounds. Starting with you!"

Honey-_senpai_ cried as Renge pointed at him.

"If all you are is cute, inside and out, then you're the same as a baby. As such, you're now _The Cute-Face, Who's Actually a Thug_!"

"Morinozuka-_senpai_, you're the _Childhood-Friend Flunkie_!"

"The twins will be basketball players, _Shut Up in Their Own World_!"

"Haruhi-_kun_, you're an honour student faced with _Intense Bullying_!"

"Rin-_san_, you're a shy, timid girl who's always the _Damsel in Distress_!"

"And Tamaki-_san_, you are the school idol, esteemed for your looks, but actually, you have an inferiority complex…_The Lonesome Prince_!"

"Oh, Kyoya-_sama_, you're perfect. You just stay your usual kind, affectionate self," Renge finished as she held her hands to her cheeks.

"I'm honoured," Kyoya said with a smirk.

"_The Lonesome Prince_. Indeed, that is perfect for me!" Tamaki exclaimed as the room darkened, a single spotlight shining down on him.

"That's probably the one she got most wrong," Haruhi muttered.

"She called Kyoya kind and affectionate," Rin said. "That's the most wrong."

"Kyoya-_senpai_…" Hikaru said as the twins dragged Kyoya away from Renge, trying to talk to him in secret. However, Renge kept popping up behind them, trying to eavesdrop.

"Do something!" Kaoru finished.

"But his highness seems up for this," he said as he pointed over at Tamaki.

"Renge-_kun_, Renge-_kun_…" Tamaki started, leaning against the wall with a saddened expression on his face. "Is this what a lonesome pose would look like?"

"My, that's pretty good, Tamaki-_san_. I'm sure it would be even more effective if it were raining."

"Well, let's just see how it goes, why don't we?" Kyoya asked with a smirk. "Something interesting will come of it, I'll bet."

* * *

The crowd screamed as Hikaru dribbled down the court, the stadium lights shining down on the players of the Ouran Basketball Team. Hikaru jumped into the air as she shot, the basketball flying through the air as it went straight into the net. The whistle blew as the girls in the crowd screamed, Ouran's score increasing by two points.

But, Hikaru's moment of glory was cut short by disaster.

"Get a stretcher! Take him to the infirmary, quick!" the coach called as the crowd suddenly went quiet. Lying on the ground was Kaoru, groaning in pain as he held his knee.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru called as he bent down by his brother's side, who had now been put on the white stretcher. "Kaoru! Kaoru!" he cried.

"Hikaru-kun, you can't. Get back in the game," the coach said as he grabbed his shoulder.

"Shut up!" Hikaru screamed in anger as he pushed the coach away from him.

"Hikaru…" Kaoru whispered. "Hikaru, take it easy. You can't go trying to feel my pain." He reached up and placed his hand on his brother's cheek. "Understand? You're not the one who got hurt."

Hikaru grabbed onto his brother's hand as tears went down his cheeks. "It's no use. It hurts. It hurts, Kaoru!" he cried.

_Your pain is my pain. It doesn't matter if no one else understands. As long as we're both there for each other, we can go on living._

"I envy you two," Tamaki said, the rain pouring down on the three as they stood outside. "Being able to support each other like that…"

"Suou-_senpai_…" Hikaru trailed off.

"But Suou-_senpai_, you're the academy's idol," Kaoru finished.

"An idol, am I?" He ran his hand through his hair. "If people are going to celebrate me over a superficial title like that, then I'm sure I'd be better off alone."

_It's hard to forget the pain, but it's even harder to remember such sweetness. We have no scar to show for our happiness._

Rin cried as she ran through the raining courtyard of Ouran, trying her hardest to get away from the three following her. She was stuck once she'd reached a wall as she turned around, knowing there was no way she could escape. She slid down the wall as she found it hard to breathe. The footsteps drew closer, and she knew that this was the end for her.

"We knew you couldn't keep going," one of them said as they drew closer, noticing her weakened state as the other two closed in on her.

"No one's coming to help you," the second whispered into her ear, making her flinch.

"Be a good girl and keep quiet," the third said with a smirk as he ran his fingers up her arm, making her want to scream. But she was too shy to tell them to stop, she was too scared to say anything.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" a male screamed, right as the hooded figure landing a punch on the man's face as Rin gasped and covered her mouth.

_One injured heart intersects with another. They pass each other, and wound each other. What are the hearts of these young men and women made of?_

"You can't run away any longer."

Haruhi gasped as she turned around, sinking down the tree's trunk as she tried to catch her breath from running.

"You're going to learn what happens when you go against me."

"Don't, Mitsukuni," Mori-_senpai_ said as he stood beside him. "Every time you hurt others, you're the one who ends up being hurt."

"Don't try to give me any advice, Takashi," Honey-_senpai_ said, his voice thick with anger. "You want me to put you over my knee again?"

_Will it be the light of salvation that ultimately awaits them? Or something else?_

"I hate it when people try to rise above their own station in life." Honey-_senpai_'s arrogant smirk started to fade as his eyes widened, tears filling once he'd realised what he was doing. "Haru-_chan_, I'm sorry!" he cried as he leaped into her arms. "I really can't do this!"

"Cut!" Renge screamed in anger. "Cut! Cut! Cut!" she screamed, directed at the camera-men and the production staff as the hose giving the illusion of rain was shut off. "You there! Stick to the script!"

"But I…"

"Cameraman, hold up for now!"

"Yes, boss." He gave up a thumps up as he turned the recording off.

"Make the rain more heartrending!" Renge screamed as she rushed over to the man who had been holding the hose.

"Why have we suddenly gone from talking about changing our characters into a movie shoot?" Hikaru asked as he sat down on one of the chairs, lifting the hoodie off his head as he sat beside his brother.

"How do we have the time for this anyway?" Rin asked as she dried her hair with the towel provided. "Aren't we supposed to be doing work?"

"And I gave to say, it's an overblown film crew, huh?" Haruhi asked as she walked over, a towel around her neck.

"Apparently, such rushed them here from Hollywood," Kyoya said as he looked at his clipboard. "Haven't you ever seen them? That man is the director of 'Millennial Snow,' the vampire movie that was the number-one box-office hit across America last year."

_Damn these rich people…_Haruhi thought.

"And another thing, how come this script has Kaoru being the pitcher?" Hikaru asked as he gestured to the pink script in his hands.

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed.

"Pitcher?" Haruhi asked.

"If you don't know, never mind," they said in unison.

"Pitcher?" she asked again.

Rin sighed as she moved closer to Haruhi. "The dominant in gay relationships," she whispered into her ear. "Mostly in the bedroom."

"Why did I bother asking?" Haruhi grumbled at the thought of what that meant, especially in the twins' case. She shuddered at the horrid image.

…

"Haruhi…" Tamaki called as he rushed over, a huge smile on his face as he readjusted his tie. "How was my performance?"

"It was awesome, in one sense of the word, at least insofar as how you're able to be so enraptured by this." She handed him a spare towel as he started to dry his wet hair.

"I've discovered a whole new facet of myself. It's not that bad an idea to go down this road for a little while."

"Are you sure? _Senpai_, I think you're fine just the way you are."

"R-really?" he asked, his cheeks turning red as he suddenly became shy. "Hmm, if you say so…"

_If this guy gets a darker side, he'll just be that much more trouble, _she thought.

"Haruhi-_kun_! You're on!" Renge called.

"Okay!" Haruhi called back as she walked off to where she had heard the voice, leaving Tamaki in his shy induced daze.

"Over here!" Renge called once she saw Haruhi walk around the corner. Haruhi stopped walking though once she'd noticed two, scary looking men in the Ouran uniform staring at her. "I've just asked these two gentlemen to make a special appearance."

"Appearance?" one of them asked.

"What are you talking about?" the other asked.

"We're going to need some villains for the big climax, after all."

At least, the time for the final confrontation had arrived. There was a greater evil infesting the academy.

"The jumble of club members unite to battle some true bad guy characters."

Sons of the Japanese Mafia – the brothers, Akutaro and Akujiro!

"According to my notes, while these two may be from a wealthy family, they are actually sons of members of the Japanese Mafia. These truly are idea parts for you."

"What's with this girl?"

"Whatever my dad may be, it's got nothing to do with me!"

"Hold on, Renge-_chan_…" Haruhi said, trying to intervene.

"Okay, just stand by over here."

"Just a minute here…" Haruhi trailed off again.

"You think you can push us around however you want to? Come off it!" one of them shouted as he pushed Renge, sending her flying backwards as she screamed.

"Look out!" Haruhi warned as she rushed forward, grabbing Renge by the shoulders and pushing her in front of herself. Haruhi groaned in pain as her back slammed into the ladder, wooden planks and equipment behind her, which Renge would have hit if not for Haruhi's sacrifice.

"Yow…" she muttered as she sank down to the ground in pain.

"Haruhi-_kun_! Are you okay!?" Renge asked as she bent down in front of her.

"Those boys are right. Renge-_chan_, if you judge people by stereotypes, you won't ever be able to see what's really important."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"Haruhi! What happened!?" Tamaki asked as he rushed around the corner, stopping once he noticed Haruhi kneeling on the ground. Hearing his voice, she lifted her head, showing the tears in her eyes.

Tamaki's eyes narrowed at the sight as he rushed forward, grabbing the boy closest to him and slamming him into the wall. "Which one of you started this?" he asked, anger thick in his voice. Fire was in his eyes as he stared the boy in front of him down, ready to attack at any moment.

The other hosts quickly rushed around to see what was happening. Rin rushed over to Haruhi, trying to help her stand as she kept asking her what had happened, also giving her reassurance and asking if she was alright.

"W-wait, Suou! She's the one who started giving us a hard time!" the other boy said, trying to help his panicked friend.

"It's true, _Senpai_," Haruhi said as she slowly stood up with the help of Rin, holding a hand over her face. "These boys aren't at fault."

Tamaki's grip on the boy loosened as he rushed over to her, concern written all over his face. Rin gently let go of Haruhi as Tamaki took her place instead.

"Run away!" the two boys screamed as they ran down the school and back into the building, both terrified of Tamaki.

Rin walked over to Renge, trying to keep her calm as she stared at the confused girl in front of her. "So, this is your fault?" she asked as she folded her arms.

"N-no, I didn't do anything to him," Renge stuttered.

"Well, all three tend to disagree. If you didn't do anything, why would they all say that you did?"

"I-I don't know." Renge turned her head to see Haruhi wiping her eyes. "Is he crying? W-what happened to him?"

"He protected you from getting hurt by that equipment. I'm pretty sure hitting that on full impact would hurt quite badly."

"I-I didn't ask him to do that for me…Haruhi…" She shook her head, her concern leaving as she glared over at Rin. "What's your problem with me anyway? Is this all because you're jealous that I'm getting more attention than you are!?"

"I would much rather people paid less attention to me. But I'm more concerned that you're careless attitude is getting people hurt than ever being jealous. And why do you need to resort to jealousy to solve all of your problems instead of realising when you've done something wrong? What does that say about you?"

"Stop it! Why are you being so mean to me!?"

"This is called reality, not being mean. You're living a delusion. You need to wake up from it and start facing the hard facts of life. Not everything that can go the way you want it to."

Renge, not knowing what else to do, pushed Rin as far away from her as she could, making Rin give a glare. Sensing a fight about to break out, the strongest two grabbed hold of Renge who had already established her Medusa like anger. The twins held back Rin, but they didn't have to do much as Rin was not one for violence. But Renge seemed to be.

"Let go of me!" she screamed to Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, struggling as she tried to lunge at Rin. "As your manager, I command you to let me hit her!"

Rin shook her head as Kaoru let go of her, but Hikaru kept his grip on her. Whether it was to hide his anger from Renge's violent comment, or just to protect her didn't seem to bother either of them. She placed her other hand on his that was holding onto her arm, letting his body relax as he sent her a smile.

Luckily, Tamaki spoke and broke the tension between the two.

"Haruhi…does it hurt?" he asked her as he gently touched her cheeks, his heart breaking at the sight of tears in her brown eyes.

"Yes…" she said as she rubbed her eyes, pulling something out of her eye. "It's my contact."

"Huh? Your con…tact?" Tamaki asked, almost in disbelief.

"Yeah. It slipped out."

Tamaki was silent for a second before a smile made its way onto his face, laughing as a result of his unneeded concern. "Oh, so that's it! Once you can cry without using eye drops, you're a full-fledged host!"

"Cameraman, did you catch that!?" Renge yelled at the cameraman, completely forgetting about her fight with Rin as the moment almost brought her to tears.

"Yes, boss!"

"Expect for the contact falling out, that was the ideal last scene! All it needs now is for Kyoya-_sama_ to provide some moving narration."

SMASH; Kyoya slammed a rock into the camera's lenses, making the camera crew gasp as the other hosts all turned towards him.

"No! My camera!"

"K-Kyoya-_sama_?" Renge asked.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow there to be any record of a club member engaging in violence. I am extremely displeased at the way you're acting like such a pest."

"Why?" she whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. "Kyoya-_sama_, you're supposed to tell me not to worry about it, and then gently pay me on the head! Why would someone as kind and affectionate as you…"

"That's not who Kyoya is," Tamaki interrupted, making her gasp as she turned around to face them.

"He's the complete opposite of your dream husband," Rin said, knowing full well that Hikaru was watching her with concern on his face.

Renge's legs shook as she fell to the ground, her shoulders shaking from the tears falling from her eyes.

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Haruhi asked as she bent down in front of the crying girl. "Even if Kyoya-_senpai _is a little different from what you expected, Renge-_chan_, I think that watching people, and slowly, little-by-little, getting to know them, can be fun, too." She gave her a smile as Renge lowered her head.

_Miyabi: Hey, Renge-chan, long time no see. You look down, huh? Come on, smile for me. Today is a very good day. After all, Renge-chan, you learned something that's very important for you to go on living a happy life. You really have levelled up._

* * *

Several days later

Rin sighed as she opened the doors to the Host Club, the members all in their poses as they awaited for the guests to soon be arriving. She shut the door behind her as she walked into the room, slumping down on the couch as she ignored the members' confused looks.

"Why so late today, Rin-_chan_?" Honey-_senpai_ asked.

"Held back. Mr. Akiyama," she grumbled as she turned to face them. He was her math teacher, and he was usually very upset with her just passable grades, but this time it wasn't for her grades.

"Oh, he was such a pain!" Tamaki exclaimed, trying to make her feel better.

"She would have gotten detention if it wasn't for us," the twins said.

"You two almost put her in detention, idiots," Haruhi muttered.

"Well that's not very nice."

"Hayashi-_san_, there is something we need to discuss," Kyoya said as he adjusted his glasses, gesturing for them to step outside the room.

"Excuse me while I go visit the Shadow King," she grumbled as she pushed herself off the couch, making her way out of the room as Kyoya shut the door behind them. Hikaru couldn't keep his eyes off the door, concern filling his whole body as he awaited for what was to come.

…

"You're letting the club down with this kind of behaviour, Hayashi-san," he said as he looked at the clipboard. "It's the sixth time you've lost a customer this year."

"I'd rather not entertain perverted men, to be honest."

"Do you think I want to entertain these delusional women? Perverted or not, losing a customer means losing profit, and that's unacceptable considering the amount of males currently in this school."

"So, what are you trying to imply. That I just suck it up and let these guys just do whatever they want to me, just so you can earn some more money? Do I let them touch me if they want, what do you expect me to do?"

"If it keeps the guests entertained, then yes."

"I am not some prostitute who you can just order around and pay. I need to stand up for myself, I cannot be taken advantage of. Not again. Geez, I never realised how much of a money-grubbing asshole you were until now."

"You signed up for this job, this is what you get."

She growled as she grabbed him by his tie, tears forming in her eyes at the harsh comments. "You have no respect for me, do you?"

Kyoya didn't respond as the other members quickly opened the door, joining them in the hallway. "What's going on?" Tamaki asked.

"Nothing. Hayashi-san was about to leave. I have more important things to attend to," she said as he grabbed hold of her arm and chucked it away from him. She quickly got the message that she wasn't wanted there and walked back into the club room, wiping her eyes to try and hide her tears. She could feel someone walking behind her as they closed the door behind them, leaving just the two of them alone in the club room.

As she stood there, she felt the tears pour down her cheeks as she sobbed into her hands. She felt masculine hands pull her into him, giving her a hug from behind as she continued to cry. She felt like her legs would give out at any second and she fell to the ground as he fell down with her.

He turned her around, but she kept her head down. "Rin, look at me," he whispered. She was hesitant before she looked up, meeting his hazel eyes with her teary brown eyes. His felt his heart shattering as he watched her bottom lip quiver as her cheeks turned red. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he pulled her into a hug, surrounding her with his warmth.

"W-why are you apologising? You didn't do anything," she whispered as she rested her head against his chest, feeling his heart beat increasing.

"I…I didn't do anything to help you."

She felt like crying harder at his kind words. He rubbed her back softly, drawing circles on her skin which made her shiver.

"What did he do to you?"

She wiped her eyes as she slowly lifted her head, shaking it. "Don't worry Hikaru, it doesn't matter…Just let me try something first."

She leant her head up slowly as their eyes met, his slowly trailing down to her lips and she smiled. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his. His eyes widened, not expecting her to make the first move, but the gentle touch of her lips against his made him forget everything as he closed his eyes, kissing her back.

The two forgot about the other hosts outside the door, lost in each other's embrace as they continued to kiss. As they separated, the two only just moved away, they could still feel each other's heavy breaths near their lips. She sent him a smile as he sent her a smirk as he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"You don't need to worry about him anymore?" he whispered. "I'll make you feel better."

She giggled as she blushed. "You move fast, don't you?"

"What can I say? It's your fault I'm like this."

She shrugged. "I'll take the blame for that," she said as she leaned forward and kissed him again.

…

"Hey there, come on in," Tamaki called to the guests.

"I bought that video!"

"Me too!"

"Same here!"

The hosts were all surprised. "You did?" Rin asked.

"That scene in the rain was the greatest!"

"_The Lonesome Prince_!"

"The deep relationship between Hikaru-_sama_ and Kaoru-_sama_ was too much!"

"Rin-_chan_ as the Damsel was so cute!"

"I want to see Honey-_kun_ acting like a thug again!"

"And Haruhi-_kun_'s poignant expressions!"

"Mori-_kun_ was definitely some kind of masochist, huh?"

"Kyoya…" Tamaki asked, annoyance filling his voice.

"I may have broken the lens, but naturally, the footage that was already shot still remains. Of course, that one scene of violence is cut out. Sales have been pretty fair. That first-rate Hollywood staff did as good a job as you'd expect."

"Is this what you meant by 'interesting'?" the twins asked.

"It's best to have as much as we can in the club budget, right?"

_At what point did this guy start calculating all of this? _Haruhi thought.

"Take care," Renge said as she walked up to them.

"Huh? I thought you want home to France," Tamaki said.

"I realised something. Your kindness earlier, when you risked your life to protect me, and your deep love, for giving those, at times, stern admonitions. This is what you meant by watching people and falling in love with them, right Haruhi-_kun_?" She grabbed Haruhi's hand and pulled her closer.

"Yes?" Haruhi questioned.

"Come, let's go to my house to play some games together," she said as she dragged Haruhi along with her as she ran towards the door. "You have to find out more about me, too."

"Huh?"

"Kyoya-_senpai_…" Hikaru started.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Kaoru finished.

"Why wouldn't it be? She's not wrong in what she's saying."

"No, it's not okay!" Tamaki screamed.

"They're both becoming friends with each other as girls, just like you wanted."

"Maybe more like friends with benefits," Rin muttered.

"But they're not both being girls!" Tamaki screamed.

"Come on, Haruhi-_kun_! Let's go!"

"Wait! Don't take Haruhi away!"

* * *

Hikaru: You look ugly!

Kaoru: Your hairstyle is weird!

Hikaru: Sex pixie!

Kaoru: Sicko!

Tamaki: How can this be? Hikaru and Kaoru…

Haruhi: Next time, "_The Twins Fight"._

Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE:**

"Sibling Rivalry – Brotherly Love"

{Episode Five - The Twins Fight}

* * *

"Do you remember when we first started playing this game?" Kaoru asked.

_The young, two boys were seated on a bench in the middle of the snowy field, holding hands as they watched all of the other kids playing together. They watched as a small girl with long hair walked over to them, a smile on her face as she approached._

"_Let's go make a snowman together," she exclaimed._

"_Which one are you talking to?" a young Hikaru asked._

"_Both of you, of course."_

"_There's nobody named 'Both of you' here," Kaoru said._

"_I'm talking to you, Hikaru-chan and Kaoru-chan."_

"_Okay then, which one of us is Hikaru, and which one is Kaoru? Can you tell?"_

"Let's play the 'Which One is Hikaru-_kun_ game'!" the twins exclaimed as they turned to face their guests, wearing the famous green hats that covered their bangs. The girls at their table giggled, all loving the famous guessing game.

Music Room #3  
The Host Club is now open for business

"Now then, can you tell which one of us is Hikaru?"

"Oh, this is hard," one of the guests said.

"They look too much alike."

"There's never been a girl who could really tell us apart before," the twins said with a smirk.

"What a ridiculous game," Haruhi muttered as she walked past, holding her books close to her chest.

"Huh? Something you don't like about it?"

"It's not just that. I can't quite figure out why you two are so popular."

"That's telling us."

Rin laughed as she walked over, giving Haruhi a pat on the back. "You've been here for how long now and you still don't know how the Host Club works?" she asked, making Haruhi roll her eyes as she shrugged.

"Apparently, Haruhi doesn't…" Hikaru started.

"…Understand the merits of having twins in the Host Club," Kaoru finished.

"Listen here. Just having a couple of good-looking homosexuals earns plenty of high points. And making a show of teetering between that and friendship is also desirable."

"But in our case, being twins, we get to use this most forbidden of taboos as a weapon."

They moved closer to one of the girls sitting in a chair, standing right beside her as she blushed.

"On top of that, there's the scenario of having two people, who have such deep ties to each other, loving you at the same time," Hikaru said as he got closer to the girl, touching her chin.

"It's the ultimate young woman's romance, right?" Kaoru asked as he did the same as his brother.

"Er…I…I can't bear any more!" the girl squealed as she almost fainted, the girls surrounding squealing to each other with their cheeks flushed.

"I'm more of a 'one-man' type of gal," Rin said as she folded her arms, wondering why someone would want a three person relationship.

Haruhi just shook her head as she sighed, wanting to get back to studying.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" Tamaki shouted as he ran through the doors of the Third Music Room, stopping in front of them with a laptop in his hands. "I let you have control of the club's homepage on the condition that you would take it seriously!"

"And we are taking it seriously," Hikaru commented.

"We were up until dawn last night working on it," Kaoru said.

"And this is the screen that you made!?" Tamaki screamed as he opened the laptop and shoved it in their faces. The picture on the screen was of an obviously Photoshoped picture of Haruhi shirtless with a male's body. Haruhi stood in complete shock.

"Haru-_chan_, you look great!" Honey-_senpai_ exclaimed.

The female guests all crowed around the laptop, taking off of him to take a closer at the shirtless "Haruhi". Mori-_senpai_ held Honey-_senpai_ up so he could look over the girls' heads. Tamaki, thinking the worst, rushed over to the nearest laptop, which happened to have been Kyoya's and accessed the school website, nearly fainting at the sight of the newest update.

"What is this!?" he screamed as he shoved the laptop in their faces, the picture on the screen being Rin wearing revealing dress which seemed to be from their mother's fashion line. The male guests all gasped as they all crowded around Kyoya's laptop, almost drooling at the sight.

"I feel so used," she muttered as she covered herself, even though she was wearing the Ouran uniform.

"Our mother did that one," the twins said, giving Tamaki a little sense of relief. But that didn't account for Haruhi's "shirtless" photo.

"When!?" he screamed. "When did you take nude photos of Haruhi!?"

_Hikaru: Yes, that's the pose. That's a nice expression._

_Kaoru: Once we're done here, we'll let you have all the fancy tuna you want…that you want…that you want…_

"Is that what you did!? Is that what you did!?"

"You're intensely delusional," the twins said.

"It's a composite photo, of course," Kaoru said.

"Composite?" Tamaki asked, in disbelief.

You mean, Photoshoped

"We did a good job, didn't we?" Hikaru asked.

"Magnificent skill, if I do say so myself," Kaoru said.

"You idiots! What a wasted use of your skills! Have some shame!" he screamed. But his mood quickly changed as he pulled out a magazine. "But if you are going to do it, composite her with this idol photo collection."

"That would be silly, sir. It would be quicker…" Hikaru started.

"…To ask her directly to wear that stuff," Kaoru finished.

"Y-yeah, I could ask her." He quickly put his charm back on as he rushed over to her, standing Haruhi – who was facing in the wall still in shock. "What do you think about this?" he asked, holding up the pink dress to her back.

"Why do you have that?" Honey-_senpai_ asked.

"That's a question that can never be answered," Rin replied, patting Honey-_senpai_ on the back as he tilted his head.

"Haruhi-_kun_ looks fantastic!" one of the guests exclaimed.

"Still, like Tamaki-_sama_ says, I'd sure like to see Haruhi-_kun_ dressed in women's clothes."

"Haruhi-_kun_ is so cute, I'm sure they would look good on him."

"Man, she's so hot," one of the guys said, practically drooling at the screen.

Kyoya had to snatch his laptop away before the rest of the guys could get another look. Hikaru was glaring a bit at the male customers, but Kaoru had to calm him down from acting out.

Haruhi sighed before he turned her head, giving Tamaki a glare that told him to back off. He instantly got the message and quickly moved away.

"Would you stop compositing pictures of me without my permission?" Haruhi asked the twins. "Just what do you take other people to be?"

"Why did you ask that question?" Rin whispered to her.

"Isn't that obvious?" they asked in unison. "Toys."

…

The Host Club continues to be open for business

"So you see, in order to enjoy an otherwise boring life…" Hikaru started.

"…You need to have some stimulating toys," Kaoru finished.

"I am not a toy!" Haruhi exclaimed.

"And neither am I!" Rin said as she folded her arms.

"_Toys_…"

The four first-years turned around to see a large, brown door attached to the wall, a cloaked figure peeking through the crack with a candle and a yellow cat puppet. "_Toys…toys…If you like toys, then by all means, come to my club, the Black Magic Club. We've opened a marketplace of the world's black magic curios. We're also always holding mass."_

Tamaki gasped in horror as he slowly turned his head, his whole body shaking in fear. The cloaked figure moved his head through the crack, a creepy smirk on his almost covered face. "_If you come now, I'll make sure you get this handsome curse doll, Belzenef, as my present."_

Black Magic Club President, Nekozawa Umehito

"Why is he talking though a crack in the door?" Haruhi asked.

"For that matter, has there always been a door there?" the twins asked.

"The answer to both of those is, 'who knows?'?" Rin answered.

"Nekozawa-_senpai_ doesn't like brightly-lit places," Kyoya said as he walked over, checking his clipboard for information.

"You must not have anything to do with that man," Tamaki whispered, making Haruhi flinch at how close he was to her ear. "If you do, you will definitely become cursed."

"Do you have any basis for that claim?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes. It was during the tests at the end of last year…Ah, it's terrifying just talking about it."

"_Tamaki-kun, good morning," one of the girls said as he passed them down the halls. _

"_Good morning," he replied with a smile. He stopped though once he noticed that he had stepped on something. He looked down and saw the infamous yellow cat puppet underneath his foot._

"That was the day that I accidentally stepped on that cursed doll, Belzenef…The test I took immediately afterward had been enumerated in comprehensible letters, as though it had been cursed! Warily, I looked at those around me, but I knew none of them! I had shifted into an alternate dimension!"

"How scary!" Honey-_senpai_ cried.

"Did that really happen?" Haruhi asked.

"Do you really believe that is real?" Rin asked, finding many realistic possibilities of what had happened, none of them involving a "curse".

"That's just because you were so shaken up, you went and took the test for the Greek class," Kyoya informed.

"No! It was a curse! What's more, three days later, in the morning, for some reason, my legs had become as heavy as lead!"

"That's because they day before, you had that marathon, right?"

"_The power of the curse doll, Belzenef, is real," _Nekozawa interrupted as he appeared right beside Tamaki, making him yelp. _"If you engrave the name of a person that you hate into this doll's back, they are certain to meet with misfortune."_

"This guy really is dark, in more ways than one," Hikaru said as they smirked at each other.

"He says he hates bright lights. I wonder how he'll like this," Kaoru said as he held up a torch, turning it on. He shined the bright light over at Nekozawa and Tamaki, making Nekozawa scream in agony.

"_You murderers!" _he screamed as he ran out the room, making everyone look at each other in confusion. The twins simply shrugged.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, how could you!?" Tamaki cried. "You don't know the true terror of black magic!"

_Yeah, and I was thinking of possibly getting one of those dolls…_Rin thought.

"Ah, I'm bored," Hikaru sighed as he sat down beside the window.

"Isn't there anything fun we can do?" Kaoru asked.

"My dignity as president…is being ignored…" Tamaki whimpered as he went into the corner, sulking once again.

"And once again, the corner has been reserved for Tamaki," Rin said as she shook her said as Haruhi sighed, wondering if these antics would ever die.

"Say, Haruhi, we have a favour to ask," the twins said.

"What is it?" she asked, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"The next day off we get…" Hikaru started.

"…Can we come over to your place?" Kaoru finished.

Tamaki's ears seemed to grow larger as he tried to hear.

"Why would you?" she asked.

"Because we're awfully interested in it."

"No way."

"None at all?"

"No way. You'll just make fun of me."

"No matter how much we ask?"

"No way."

"I've also long been thinking that I should pay my respects to Haruhi's family," Tamaki started.

"No way in hell."

"I would love to come to your house, Haruhi," Rin said with a cute smile, making Haruhi pause before she answered.

"Give me some time."

"Then, let's do it this way. If you miss in the 'Which one is Hikaru-_kun_ game', then as a penalty, we get to come over to your house."

"That would be an easy win. I want to play too," Rin said as she walked over, her eyes lighting up at the thought. She was a little bit competitive when it came to playing games, especially ones she knew she'd win. She knew she got that little trait from her brother, that much she knew. He was seriously competitive, even more so than her.

"We knew you would," they replied with smirks. "You've got the advantage Haruhi. If Rin cannot pick either, your punishment still remains." They looked at each other before they started moving around, trying to confuse the two girls into picking the wrong twin. They stopped, lifting their heads up with smiles.

"Okay, which one of us is Hikaru-_kun_?"

"You're Kaoru," Haruhi said as she pointed to the twin on the left.

"And you're Hikaru," Rin said as she pointed to the twin on the right.

"Bzzzt! You got it wrong!" they exclaimed with fake smiles.

"No we didn't," Haruhi said. "You do look very similar, but you are different."

"Just because you share the same looks doesn't mean you're the same person," Rin said with a smile.

"Say, Haruhi-_kun_, once they cover whether they part their hart on the left or the right, the difference between Hikaru-_kun_ and Kaoru-_kun_ becomes completely indistinguishable," one of the guests said.

"How can you tell them apart, Rin-_chan_?" another asked.

"Uh, well, let's see…" Haruhi said, trailing off. "If I had to say…Hikaru's speech and actions are ten percent more ornery than Kaoru's."

No offense intended

"That's how you figured it out?" Rin asked.

"Then how do you do it?" Haruhi asked as she turned to face her.

Rin cheek's started to turn red while she lifted her index finger to her lips. "It's my little secret."

"You just guessed didn't you?"

"N-No, I'd just rather not say." _Only because you'd make fun of me for it._

Kaoru started to chuckle, making the guests turn around at his out-of-character moment. "I'm sorry, Hikaru!" he exclaimed, right before he burst out into laughter, having to bend over as he held his stomach with one hand.

"Well, I just don't mask anything, and always express myself honestly," Hikaru replied with a glare. "So Kaoru is the one who is more spiteful."

Kaoru stopped laughing as he turned and gave his brother a glare. "Don't go spinning this. Hikaru, I'm the one who's always going along, playing your selfish games, right?"

"I may be the one to suggest them, but you're the one who gets into them, Kaoru. If you don't like them, then just stop. What are you, stupid?"

"You're too stupid to see it for yourself, Hikaru. Like how, even as you were calling them toys, you were so quick to make some sort of pass at them. Hikaru, you really are in love with Rin and Haruhi, aren't you?"

"Huh!?" Hikaru exclaimed, a blush rising to his cheeks.

"What!?" Tamaki screamed as he held his face.

"H-hey, you've got it all wrong! You really are an idiot, Kaoru!"

"Yeah! There are some things you can and can't say in this world!" Tamaki screamed.

"For one thing, how is it that I would fall for that little tanuki?"

Tanuki = a shape-shifting raccoon dog

"What do you mean by calling Haruhi a little tanuki!?"

"Didn't deny being in love with Rin then, huh? All along, that flirting was just an act to cover up!" Kaoru exclaimed with a smirk.

"Fantastic. This is fantastic," Renge exclaimed as the powerful motor kicked in, pushing the floor apart as she rose up on the podium, spinning around as she interlocked her fingers.

"A beautiful, yet poignant five-sided relationship around Haruhi-_kun_. What's more, two of the figures are twins, bogged down by this development! Renge could eat three bowls of rice over this!"

"You stay out of this, otaku," the twins said in monotone.

"How mean! What a mean thing to say to your manager!"

"Renge-_kun_, I thought you liked Haruhi, too," Tamaki said.

"That's another matter. Everyone knows that there's always more room to homosexual relationships these days."

"For that matter, I thought you'd gone home to France," Haruhi said.

"Well, it's too soon to start host clubs in France, and it wouldn't go over."

"I thought you disliked me, why would you want me to be in a relationship?" Rin asked, making Renge squeal with joy.

"But you and Hikaru are so cute together! How can I not wish that?"

_At least I'm not the target of her hatred anymore. _

"Enough already!" Hikaru yelled, grabbing everyone's attention. "You're always getting into my bed! You're such a pest!"

"That's because you seem so lonely, Hikaru. I had no choice but to sleep next to you, you idiot!"

"Who are you calling an idiot!? You doing worse in a number of classes!"

"Look who's talking! Hikaru, maybe you should study linguistics more!"

"You grind your teeth too loud!"

"Who is it that tosses in their sleep and falls out of bed!?"

"Sex pixie!"

"Sicko!"

"Your mama wears too much makeup!" they screamed. "We're through!"

* * *

The next day

Rin slowly opened her eyes, blinking in surprise when she noticed hazel eyes close to her face, a big grin on his face as he moved even closer until she felt his breath on her lips. "Rise and shine," he whispered with a smirk.

She kept blinking, the blood rushing to his face at the surprising wake-up call. She almost screamed in shock, but he knew it was coming so he bent down and kissed her, cutting her off with a passionate morning kiss. He quickly moved back, resting only a few centimetres away from her face with the same, mischievous smirk that she loved.

"W-What are you doing here?" she whispered, rubbing her brown eyes as she gently rested her other hand on his chest, pushing him away a little so she could sit up, resting her head against the bedframe. "How did you know where I lived?"

"I looked it up on the website."

Her eyes widened as she almost jumped out of bed to rush over to the computer, revealing her pink singlet and blue shorts. She tried to rush over to her desk, however arms quickly wrapped around her waist and pulled her down until she was sitting right in his lap. She squealed with laughter as he gave a kiss to her neck as he rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"It's not there. I was just joking; Kyoya broke his pencil when I asked for it."

"And you're not here because of that fight with Kaoru, right?" she asked as she turned her head slightly.

"Part of it," he said with a shrug.

She sighed as she fully turned around, gasping as she noticed the pink that had replaced his naturally auburn hair. "W-Why is your hair pink?"

"Oh, this," he said as he grabbed hold of a strand of hair that had replaced the fringe he had. It was slicked back now and only that strand remained on his face. "It looks good on me, huh? It's cute, huh?"

"I don't think I would use the word 'cute' to describe you," she said, causing him to leave another kiss on her neck. "Why are you so affectionate during the mornings?" She rubbed her eyes as she yawned.

"Rin, who are you talking to?" a voice asked from down the hall, making her gasp as she tried to stand up, cursing at the sudden noise.

"You either need to hide or get out now." She lifted his arms off as she tried to straighten herself up as best as she could.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked, not too alarmed by the sounds of footsteps coming towards the door.

"They don't approve of me much."

She grabbed his arm and lifted his body off the bed, dragging him over to her closet. She opened the door and shoved him in, closing it behind him as she stood against it.

"Don't make a sound," she whispered to the door, right before she made her way back over to her bed, holding her phone to her ear and pretending to talk, right as the door opened.

"Who were you talking to so early in the morning?" her step-father asked as he walked into the room, looking around for anything suspicious.

"Just my boyfriend. Don't worry, he's only on the phone," she said as she pretended to hang up the call, placing it down on the bed.

"Rin," he said with a sigh. "You shouldn't have a boyfriend right now. You know how we feel about distractions. You're already failing most of your subjects and you're not earning enough to pay your part of the rent."

"I didn't expect much coming from a school program, Mark. It's not a proper job. Don't worry, I'll give you the money in a few days. And I've told you I was never that smart."

"That isn't an excuse. If your grades don't rise within the next week and the money isn't there, you'll know what will happen." He gave her a stern look before he opened the door again. "And that boyfriend needs to be gone too." He walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him as he went back to his room.

She took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. "Almost like they want me to leave," she muttered under her breath as she walked over to the closet. Just when she was about to open it, Hikaru pushed it open for her and grabbed hold of her, locking their lips as he backed her up towards the bed, making her fall.

"H-Hikaru, what are you…?" she asked against his lips.

"If I didn't do it, I would've hurt him."

She gave him a smile as she touched his cheek. "There's nothing for you to do. I'm sorry, but this is the way it's always been."

"But you shouldn't! They were going to…"

"Shh," she whispered as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "We need to hurry up or we'll be late."

"Rin, you don't need to change the…"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright. I always am."

…

"Haruhi!" the two called as they entered the classroom door, the class all staring at the pink hair on Hikaru's head. Haruhi stopped unpacking her things and saw the two walking over to her. "Good morning."

"Hikaru? What's up with your hair?" Haruhi asked. "Why is it pink?"

"It looks good on me. Isn't it cute?" he asked with a smirk.

"Only you could make pink hair look good," Rin said with a wink as she sat down at her desk beside Haruhi. Haruhi rolled her eyes.

"Do you have to do this so early?" she asked, referring to their flirtatious ways.

"Starting today, the pink one is me. I couldn't bear being mistaken for Kaoru forever."

As soon as he finished, a figure stepped through the door and stood right beside him, making Rin giggle as she tried to hide it behind her hand. Standing next to him was Kaoru, wearing the same hairstyle expect in a bright blue.

"Good morning, Haruhi," Kaoru said, making Rin laugh even more.

"H-How is that possible?" she asked in between giggles. "You both dyed your hair ridiculous colours."

"Kaoru, you went with blue," Haruhi said, sighing.

"Last night, I had the rare chance to gracefully sleep by myself, but I had a bad dream," Kaoru said as Hikaru walked past him, sitting at his desk besides Rin as he faced the front, not looking at his brother. "You see, my hair was dyed pink…"

Hikaru clearly didn't miss that obvious jab as he growled.

"…Of the most garish shade, in this dream I was having."

Right before Kaoru sat down, Hikaru kicked his leg out and hit the leg of Kaoru's chair, pushing it away as Kaoru fell to the ground. He glanced over for a second, before he grabbed hold of the leg of Hikaru's chair and pulled, causing Hikaru to fall to the ground as well.

The two stood up, giving each other a glare before they picked up their fallen chairs. Haruhi sighed as she watched the chairs flying over her head, along with many other things that the twins tossed at each other. One of those things ended up being Usa-_chan_ and then Honey-_senpai_.

Rin groaned as she slammed her hands down on the table, standing up as the chairs continued to fly over her head. "Guys! You need to calm down!" she shouted, hoping to get through to them. She, however, screamed and jumped out of the way once she noticed a chair going straight for her.

"Kaoru!" she screeched.

"Sorry!" he called as he continued to throw everything in sight.

…

Noontime recess in the refectory

"The A lunch," the twins said, holding their trays as they stood in the line. They glared at each other. "On second thought, the B pasta and the D salad!" They glared again. "I mean, the F Cappellini with the barbarie duck – no, set that aside, and make it a foie gras poele, in perigueux sauce!" They growled at each other. "Stop copying me! I just told you not to copy me, didn't I!?"

"Amazing. They're fighting in harmony," Haruhi grumbled.

"Habits won't die that fast," Rin said as she patted her on the back.

"I thought it was getting noisy in here." Everyone turned and saw Tamaki, the rest of the Host Club members standing behind him. "Are you two still fighting? You're embarrassing the Host Club."

"It's the Host Club," one of the girls squealed.

"Oh my, the Host Club."

"The boys from the Host Club are all together."

"Okay, break!" Honey-_senpai_ announced, holding up a sign that read _Bunny Sumo _on it. "You're both to blame for this fight. Hika-_chan_ and Kao-_chan_, go halfsies on this cake, and make up! Okay?" he asked as held up a giant cake. "Oh, but I want to eat some, too, so I guess we have to go thirdsies. We can't slipt the strawberry, so what do we do? Maybe I should just take it. After all, I love strawberries, so that's okay, right? Oh, but then, Hika-_chan_ and Kao-_chan_, do you like strawberries, too?"

Mori-_senpai_ quickly walked over and lifted Honey-_senpai_ up, dragging him away from the irritated twins.

"You're just making the situation worse, so stop," he said.

"Oh, Haruhi! Fancy running into you in the refectory!" Tamaki exclaimed, acting like a puppy dog as his "tail" wagged in happiness.

"I was concerned about those two, and followed them here without thinking," Haruhi replied, holding a box in her hands. "I just have my box lunch, so I wanted to eat it in the classroom."

Tamaki gasped as he stared down at the wrapped box in her hands. "A box lunch?" he asked as his delusions took over.

"Tamaki's Box"

"_Dear, here's your box lunch," Haruhi said, wearing a pink apron over her white turtle-neck sweater. "Oh, but the heart-shaped sprinkles might be a bit embarrassing."_

"Even if your box lunch did have an embarrassing heart in it, I would not hesitate to eat it!" Tamaki screamed, causing the students to stare.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know that your delusions are always incoherent," Kyoya said as he took his tray of food and left.

"Hey Rin," Haruhi said as she took the seat beside her, sighing from the usual antics of the Host Club.

"Hey, glad you decided to join the sane people," Rin said with a laugh as she took her knife and fork and dug into her Peppered Tuna and Nicoise Salad.

"Isn't that expensive?" Haruhi asked as she watched Rin start to eat.

"Let's just say I served a few detentions doing 'clean-up duty'."

At least once a week, she would get detention, and that was for simply not completing her assigned homework, but it was never because she was too lazy. No, she just wasn't smart enough to do it without a teacher's help. However, she had spent her latest detentions in the kitchen, cleaning up all the dirty dishes and tables and removing food scraps. Let's just say she got a discount on the food she purchased for lunch for her hard work.

"Mind if I sit here?" Hikaru asked, pulling out a seat beside Rin, holding a tray filled with food.

"Why do you even need to ask?" she questioned with a smile as he sat down.

"What do you have in your box lunch?" he asked as he pointed to Haruhi's lunch.

"Yesterday's simmered leftovers, some rolled omelette, and such."

"Switch with me. I ordered something different from Kaoru, and ended up with all stuff that I hate."

"Switch with Rin then," Haruhi responded.

"She doesn't like that stuff either."

"Of course she doesn't," Haruhi muttered, causing Rin to glare. "Sure, okay…" she said as Rin grabbed hold of both of their lunches, switching them around before she went back to eating.

_This is awfully lavish, _Haruhi thought as she stared down at the food in awe. _I haven't ever really eaten this sort of thing…_She picked up the fork and took a bite of the meat on the plate. As soon as she tasted it, her cheeks turned red and she almost giggled in delight at how delicious it was.

"Delicious, isn't it?" Tamaki asked himself. "Delicious, isn't it, Haruhi? Good. I'd like to let you eat that every day." He quickly rushed over to the table, standing behind Hikaru with a wink and a charming smile. "Well done, Hikaru. As a reward, you can have my A lunch, so let me have the box lunch."

"No."

"Oh, don't say that."

"I'm not about to."

"Haruhi, is that any good?" Kaoru asked as he sat down beside her. "You want some of mine, too?" He gently grabbed hold of her chin, lifting it up as he inched the spoon closer to her mouth. "Here. 'Aah'…." Hikaru poked Rin on the shoulder as she noticed what was happening, and quickly ducked her head.

Hikaru took the spoonful of food in his mouth, giving his brother a glare. "Butt out. Go away," he said with his mouthful.

Kaoru didn't say a word as he slowly picked up the plate of soup on his tray, not hesitating as he threw it at him. Rin screamed as the bowel came closer, but luckily Hikaru had grabbed hold of Tamaki's tie and threw him in front of them, the soup splashing onto Tamaki's face as he remained in shock.

Rin turned her head to Hikaru as she sighed with relief, making him send her a wink right before he moved Tamaki out of the way and smirked at his brother.

Then the throwing of items started up once again. This time food was being thrown at each other, while Rin and Haruhi remained in the middle of the flying food once again. Honey-_senpai_ was thrown once again, expect this time Mori-_senpai_ came in to try and save him, but ended up being thrown as well.

"I think I'll eat in the classroom after all," Haruhi grumbled as she grabbed hold of her boxed lunch, walking straight past them as she headed for the classroom.

Rin had luckily finished her food by this time, and stood up so she could follow and leave the two to fight by themselves.

"Hikaru, take this!" Kaoru shouted as he lifted Rin up into the air, throwing her across the room as she screamed in terror.

"My precious daughter!" Tamaki screamed in horror as he watched her fly. She closed her eyes, fearing she would hit the ground. However, once she felt herself not moving, she opened her eyes and saw Hikaru staring down at her with a worried expression.

"My knight in shining armour," she whispered with a smile as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made a smile go to his face. He gently let her down and glared at his brother once she had left the room.

"Don't go throwing people around like that!" Hikaru shouted as he picked Tamaki up and chucked him at Kaoru.

"Hypocrite," Kaoru cursed. He caught Tamaki, and then chucked him back.

"Fine, don't throw her around like a ragdoll."

"Stop throwing me!" Tamaki screamed as he felt sick.

…

Rin sighed, running her fingers through her hair as she grabbed hold of the door handle. She suddenly noticed a strange, black mist starting to surround her, making her turn around to see a large, brown door on the other side of the hallway. The black mist seeped out from the crack in the door and out through the bottom, making her curious as she took a step towards it.

"_Don't," _a voice whispered. _"Unless you want to witness the horrors of the Black Magic Club." _She turned her head and saw Nekozawa standing beside the door, Belzenef giving a wicked smile as he waved. _"What is with that face? Aren't you terrified of the unknown of the Black Magic Club? Of curses? Of what I can do?"_

She titled her head. "I don't see a reason why I should be, to be honest. I personally don't understand why Tamaki is so terrified of you."

"_You don't?" _he asked, the smirk from his face slowly fading.

She shook her head. "You just seem like a normal guy who just happens to wear a dark cloak. And just because you like darker things than most doesn't make you 'creepy', it makes you unique. And trust me from personal experience, unique is not a bad thing, though many people believe it is."

Nekozawa seemed speechless for one of the first times in his life as Belzenef stopped moving. _"Too pure for the Black Magic Club," _he muttered as he looked down at his puppet. _"Even the darkest past would not be enough to hide that."_

Rin smiled. "Having a dark past made me who I am. Grief and suffering gets everyone differently."

"_It would seem so…Good day, Hayashi-san…" _He gave a nod before he turned his back to her, Belzenef holding the door handle as they stepped through the darkness, a single candle in the room being the only light as he disappeared.

_Our past makes us who we are, what has yours done to you to make you so afraid of rejection? _She thought as she turned back to the doors of the Host Club. _Maybe we share more than what meets the eye…_She turned her head to the door behind her once more, before she sighed and opened the doors to the Third Music Room.

_Which person has left your life and made you feel unwanted?_

…

Tamaki sighed as the silence filled the room, the rest of the members all doing their own things. It was after school hours as they all sat at a large table, each there for a secret meeting about the twins.

Kyoya was calculating something on his calculator; Honey-_senpai_ swung his legs as his ate a piece of cake; Mori-_senpai_ stood beside him with his arms crossed; Haruhi stared out the window and Rin sipped on her tea.

"If this situation continues, we're going to have to stop offering the brotherly love package," Kyoya said as Tamaki laid his head on the table. "Our designee rate is definitely down. Oh, Haruhi, this isn't something that you should feel responsible for. Even though your thoughtless comment was the cause of this fight." He gave her a fake smile, which made her sigh.

About the cafeteria, don't worry about cleaning it ok…

_He's clearly blaming me, _Haruhi thought.

"Hika-_chan_ and Kao-_chan_ fighting with each other…" Honey-_senpai_ started. "It's never happened before, huh?"

"Is that right?" Haruhi asked.

"I've known them since pre-school. We weren't in the same year, so I never talked to them, but it seemed like they always played together."

"You're right. I've only known them since middle school, but they really stood aloof," Tamaki said. "It seemed like expect for themselves, they kept everyone at a distance." He glanced over at Rin, both of them sharing the same thought. The two pair of siblings were almost identical in how they acted. "Their personalities were several times more warped than they are now."

Rin turned her head over to the window as she lost herself in her thoughts. During their childhood in France, Tamaki had been the only kid the two siblings would allow themselves to get close too. They had dealt with families using them for their wealth, and it drove the two to isolation. And then when they started to connect with people, they both got shoved to the curb in different ways. Both ended in heartbreak.

How had she come to being so trusting with these people?

"Thinking about it that way, maybe this fighting is a turn for the better. It means that their world is starting to get a little larger, doesn't it? Maybe it's best to leave them alone, under the circumstances."

_Maybe it is a turn for the better, _Haruhi thought as she watched the sun set. _But then, if this is their first fight, then maybe they need someone to tell them when to call it quits that much more. They probably don't know how to make up with each other, either. _

…

Music Room #3  
No business today

The Host Club members all stared in shock at the giant tower of items that laid before them, a result of the twins and them throwing things once again. Honey-_senpai_ sat on the top of the pile as he held onto Usa-_chan_, leaning from side to side as he balanced on the giant pile.

"After going this long, haven't you gotten over it yet?" Tamaki asked as he tried to contain his anger. "You brothers are putting us out."

"We're putting you out!?" Hikaru yelled. "We're putting you out, you say!? You've got to be kidding! I'm the one who's put out! I'm the one who's got the same face as Kaoru. I'm sick and tired of being mistaken for you! The truth is, I hate your guts!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth. Look at this! I bought this from Nekozawa-_senpai_ – Belzenef, the curse doll!" Kaoru shouted as he pulled out a brown statue of the cat puppet in question.

"Uh!" Tamaki shrieked in horror as he hid behind Rin, trembling at the sight.

"I'm writing your name on this thing's back, Hikaru. From here on, you're going to meet with lots of misfortune and sorrow!" He started writing on the back of the doll with a permanent marker, and that's when Haruhi snapped.

She rushed over, punching the two in the head as she screamed. "Enough already! You don't go bringing something like this into a simple quarrel! You both are to blame for this fight, but you're even more to blame for bothering everyone around you with it! Especially Rin since you got her involved in your petty fight! Now say you're sorry! If you don't make up right now, then I'll never let you come over, as long as I live!"

The twins sat in silence for a moment with their eyes widened, but it slowly changed into a wide smirk.

"Then, if we do make up, Haruhi, we can come over to your house, right?" they asked in unison as they walked around her, standing behind her with smirks. Haruhi glanced at the two of them before she slowly turned the Belzenef doll around, wanting to see the name.

Blank.

Haruhi screamed out in shock once she and the Host Club realised what had happened.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru. Even though I was just following our script, I'm not fit to be your brother, to say such awful things to you," Hikaru said as he held his brother close.

"Not at all. I'm the one who was terribly worried about what I would do if I hurt you, Hikaru," Kaoru replied, holding his brother's face.

"Kaoru, I'll never let you go!"

"Hikaru!"

Then, Haruhi dropped the Belzenef doll as it slowly fell to the ground.

"Oh, you were faking the fight!?" Honey-_senpai _cried.

"Well, we were bored."

Tamaki laid on the ground, feeling exhausted and defeated while Haruhi was on her hands and knees in the corner, filled with grief.

_T-they got me… _Haruhi thought.

_Twins with too much free time… _Tamaki thought.

They stuck their tongues out at him as they pulled down on the bottom of their eye, mocking him.

…_Are the devil._

Rin didn't say a word as she simply walked out of the room, making Tamaki notice as he followed her out.

"Rin, you alright?" he asked as he shut the door behind them, but she just shook her head.

"I'll be alright…" she said as she tried to walk off.

"You always say that, but it's not…"

"I'll be alright. I always am," she said as she gave him a smile before she walked down the hallway, ready to face her angered step-parents and her thoughts of her brother. Tamaki stared as she left, sadness in his eyes knowing he couldn't do anything to help her. He slowly opened the door and walked inside, the rest of the Host Club members staring in confusion.

"She needs time to think," was his only reply, which made Hikaru tense. Had he taken the joke too far? Tamaki looked at him before he shook his head as he walked over to the window, watching as she exited the school and walked towards her step-parents' house.

…

"This is all your fault!" her step-mother screamed from downstairs. "He was a prodigy child! He had such good grades, was kind and generous, good-looking. And you sent him away."

"And you wanted me to send _her_ over to America, huh? She can't even pass her basic maths class! What good would that have done? At least we know that he'll be successful over there and promote our business."

"But he would have done much more for us over here."

"She's failing every class expect Conversational French. It took her two years to learn just the basics of Japanese. How would she be able to learn how to speak English?"

"Maybe if you had let her taken Music, she wouldn't be failing every subject."

"Oh, like Music has any relevance in being successful. There is no need for such a waste of time such as that."

"But she was amazing at the piano. She was earning money from performing in cafes and such. The one thing she's good at and you deprive her of it."

Rin sighed as she covered her ears with her pillow, trying to drain out their angered voices so she could think. She knew they were going to kick her out tonight. Their solution for most things was to do that so they could think in peace for a few days, before they'd let her back.

But she knew that this time, she wouldn't be coming back.

Music had always been her passion; she had played piano and had sang for most of her life, and it was one of the only things she was good at. She didn't have much else, besides her looks and wealth, going for her. And she wanted to be much more than just a rich, pretty face.

She stared down at her phone as she pushed herself out of bed, going over to her backpack and filling it up. For months, she had been thinking about running away, leaving that place, but she had not enough money to afford a place on her own and she didn't have anyone to live with.

Her phone buzzed as she put another pair of clothes in her backpack, making her stop as she glanced at it.

Hikaru: School. Now. Need to talk. Please, come.

She smiled a little as she put an oversized sweater over her to fight the cold night, as she slung her backpack over her shoulder as she stared at her phone. She opened her window as she took a sigh. There wasn't many memories made in this house anyway, so she wouldn't miss it. And she definitely wasn't going to miss her step-parents. She had no attachments. So she looked at the ground below her, using her phone as a flashlight, as she jumped.

…

"Did we have to do this now, in the middle of the night inside a classroom," Rin said as she hid her hands inside the sleeves of her sweater, feeling a little uncomfortable being inside the school while it was pitch black outside.

"Yes, we did," he replied as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not angry at you, if you're wondering. There's no need to apologise. I-I just had a lot on my mind at the time, I overreacted." She took a seat on one of the desks as she looked down at her feet, thinking.

Hikaru walked over to her, placing his hands beside her body as he trapped her, just like he had done during the dance party.

"Tell me," he whispered. He felt his chest tightening at her saddened expression. He felt like his heart was breaking into a thousand pieces, and he made a promise to himself that he never wanted to make her feel like that.

She sighed before she looked up at him. "Kaoru and you…You two remind me so much of, of my brother and I. We were so distant from others growing up. We thought we only needed each other, and no one else. Tamaki was the only exception to that rule, and that was because he never left. Then when we started opening up to people, we both got tossed to the side like a piece of trash. Kyoya took my heart and smashed it on the ground, while my brother watched as his girlfriend left him for another man…You two fighting just hit too close to home for me, but that's not your fault. You didn't know how I felt."

"I could have asked," he suggested, but she shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. I probably would have said it was fine, even though I didn't think so." She noticed his hand on top of hers as he leaned closer.

"Why do you pretend everything's alright when it's not? Can't you trust me?"

"I'm trying, but it's hard once you lost it long ago…I have a big favour to ask of you, but do you see that bag over there."

Hikaru nodded as he rested his head in the crook of her neck, giving her light kisses that made her shiver. "I need you to let me move in with you and Kaoru."

Thinking she was joking, Hikaru payed no attention and just nodded with a chuckle. "Whatever you want princess."

"I'm not joking. You said you wanted to me help me earlier, and I've found a way for you to do that. I need a place to live, and you're the only person I can trust."

"Anything you want," he whispered as he pulled her in for a kiss, his mind racing of how amazing it would be for her to just be a room away from his. She could feel him smirk in the kiss, which made her roll her eyes.

"Please, don't do anything perverted to me," she said with a giggle, which made him scoff.

"I'm not that mischievous…I will think it though," he said as he kissed her again, wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer, standing in between her legs and she couldn't help but giggle at his actions.

"Thank you, my knight in shining armour."

"Anything for my little princess."

* * *

Music Room #3  
The Host Club is now open for business

"Thank goodness," one of the girls sighed as others cheered at the news of the brotherly love package finally being back in full power.

"Okay, let's play the 'Which one is Hikaru-_kun_ game'!" they said in unison with giant smiles, making the girls blush as one raised her hand.

"Um, the one with the pink hair is Hikaru-_kun_," she said.

"We have a winner!"

"You may have made up, but your hair will still stay that way for a while, huh?" another girl asked.

"Still, I'm glad it's easier to tell now."

"No it isn't," Haruhi said as she walked past them. "Today, the pink one is Kaoru…"

"…And the blue one is Hikaru," Rin said as she rested her arm on his shoulder with a smile.

"You've switched your colours, huh?" Haruhi asked before she continued to walk through the room with her books in her arms.

"Let more people come into your little circle," Rin said as she took her arm away. "Trust me, as long as you chose the right people, it would be worth any pain or grief." She gave a sweet smile as she gave Hikaru's arm a squeeze before she walked away, following Haruhi who was supposed to be helping her study.

Kaoru glanced over at his brother for a second; who was watching as Rin caught up with Haruhi; then back at the two girls. "Have you noticed, Hikaru?" he asked. "Up until now, there were only two worlds: 'us' and 'everyone else'." His grip on his brother's hand tightened. "But for the first time, two genuine gatecrashers have appeared."

* * *

Tamaki: Rejoice, Haruhi! You're going to have seniority over someone now. Someone new wants to join the club.

Haruhi: But he's still in elementary school.

Tamaki: I'm afraid to imagine what that kid will be like when he grows up.

Haruhi: Next time, "_The Grade-School Host is the Naughty Type_".

Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX:**

"Elementary – Grade Schooler Host"

{Episode Six - The Grade School Host is the Naughty Type}

* * *

A boy of the age of eleven walked towards the door, twisting the golden handle to exit the room. "Oh, Shiro-_kun_…" a voice called, stopping him from leaving the room. "Everyone else is already assembled. Hurry and come to the classroom."

"Sorry, but I'm going to quit the Classical Music Club," the young boy replied.

"Huh? Why so suddenly? Your teacher thinks you have a talent for playing the piano." The man rested his hands on the boy's shoulders. "I won't say anything about this, so keep at it. You'll be popular with the girls in the future if you can play the piano."

"Doing so would be too roundabout!" He turned his head as he glared at the older man. "I don't have any time!"

…

"The top floor of the south school building…" he said to himself as he walked up the red-covered stairs. "…At the end of the north hallway…" He stood in front of the large doors, leading to the Third Music Room. "The unused music room…This is it. This is the fabled…"

He nodded to himself before he placed his hand on the golden handle, the bright, white light seeping through as red rose petals flew towards him. The boy fell down at the sight before him. There stood eight figures all dressed in Arabian clothing.

"Welcome," they all chorused, making the boy even more confused and scared.

"Oh, it's just a kid," Hikaru said.

"And a boy, no less," Kaoru said.

"What's wrong, little lost boy? Did you need something from our palace?" Tamaki asked.

Deep into the role of an Arabian King

"Y-you're this place's king?" the young boy asked, the simple question filling Tamaki with delight. "Am I wrong?"

"Here, little lost boy." The boy walked forward as Tamaki ordered. "What did you just call me?"

"King."

"Oh, 'King'! Yes, indeed, I am the King of the Host Club."

Happy, since he's not used to being called that…

"I'm Takaoji Shiro, Elementary 5th-Year, Class A!" Shiro shouted. "I hereby petition the Host Club King to take me on as an apprentice."

…

The Host Club is now open for business

"My, Tamaki-_kun_, you have an apprentice?" a guest asked.

"Yes. He's still in grade school, but I like the look in his eye," Tamaki responded.

"Can such a small boy serve as a host?"

"Love has nothing to do with age. No, to tell the truth, even my heart begins to pound, and I always become like a little boy, when you are before me."

"Ah, Tamaki-_kun_…"

While this was going on, Shiro sat on a chair that was placed at their table, sitting only an inch or two away from their faces.

"Rin-_san_, who's that child following him around?" one of the girls asked as she approached her.

"That just happens to be Tamaki's new apprentice."

"He's a little young, isn't he?"

"Tamaki couldn't refuse the offer of having a little minion following him around."

"Letting him observe them at such a close distance has to make it difficult, doesn't it?" Haruhi asked.

"He usually insists that he becomes proportionally more beautiful the closer people see him," Kyoya said, writing something down. "Let's just let them be."

"You bad girl, who showed me the forbidden fruit, you're like a mermaid princess, bringing light to my sea of loneliness," Tamaki continued.

"I'm a mermaid princess?"

"If you ask me, you're more like the carp we have in our pond at home," Shiro said bluntly. "I wouldn't want to offer you any such clumsy flattery."

"Carp?" the girl sobbed.

"Oh, no, he's just a child, you know. I mean, children are so frank."

"Frank?"

"S-still, they may be frank, but I wouldn't say that you look like a carp. And even supposing that you did look like a carp, it's a beautiful carp…"

"So I'm a carp, after all!"

"No…I didn't mean…"

"Tamaki-_kun_, you idiot!" she screamed as she ran out sobbing.

"Wait, my mermaid princess!"

"Don't cry, you crybaby," Shiro muttered as he sat down on the chair.

"Good for you, sir!" Hikaru said in between laughs. "That's an adorable little apprentice you have there."

"Hikaru…Hikaru, do you wish you had a brother like this?" Kaoru asked.

"Silly…I could search the whole world, and not find a better brother than you, Kaoru."

"Oh, Hikaru…"

"Forbidden brotherly love!" one of the guests squealed.

Shiro jumped out of his seat as his clutched at his chest. "Y-you're homos! And what's worse, you're twins, so that's _kinkan youkan_!"

Kinkan youkan = kumquat bean paste

"I think what you mean to say is _kinshin soukan_," Tamaki said with his arms folded.

Kinshin soukan = incest

"Shiro-_chan_!" Honey-_senpai_ exclaimed as he jumped onto the younger boy's back with a giant smile. "Want to have some cake with me? You know what? We have chocolate and strawberry."

"Back off!" Shiro yelled as he shoved Honey-_senpai_ off his back with a glare. "What grade are you in!? What are you doing, wearing a high school uniform?"

Truthfully is a high school 3rd-Year

"What's wrong, Mitsukuni?" Mori-_senpai_ asked as he stood behind them, his tall form towering over Shiro's.

"No fair!" Shiro yelled as Honey-_senpai_ jumped onto Mori-_senpai_'s back with a whimper. "You can't go having older friends like that!"

Truthfully in the same class

Shiro backed up with wide eyes, bumping into Haruhi who happened to be carrying a tray filled with tea cups. She luckily got her balance back and the tea cups remained on the tray.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "Ah, you're surprised at how everyone here is so unusual? I was also unable to get a grasp of the atmosphere around here at first, which considerably threw me for a loop."

_This one seems more like a girl, _Shiro thought.

"Are you a queer?" he asked bluntly.

"Huh?" the twins and Tamaki exclaimed as they quickly rushed over.

"Okay, that will do," Tamaki said, covering Shiro's eyes. "Why don't you carry the tea for me?"

"Haruhi really is manly, isn't he?" Kaoru asked with a fake smile.

"Go on, manly Haruhi-_kun_, let Shiro take care of that tea set," Hikaru said with the same fake smile as the two patted her on the head. "It's part of his training."

The committee to assert that Haruhi is definitely a boy

Haruhi gave a sigh as Shiro forcefully removed Tamaki's hands from his eyes.

_The kid is surprisingly sharp, _Tamaki thought.

_A formidable eye, for a child, _the twins thought.

"Okay, its heavy, so be careful," Haruhi said as she handed the tea set carefully over to Shiro. He held it for a second before it dropped out of his hands, smashing onto the ground as the hosts gasped.

"It's not my fault, okay?" Shiro said in monotone. "It's _your_ fault for trying to make me do it."

"Haruhi, minus 100,000 yen," Kyoya said as he wrote it down in his clipboard.

"Huh?" Haruhi exclaimed nervously as she glared at Kyoya's back.

"Rin, it's your duty to clean up," he announced as the hosts heard a distant feminine groan.

Out of the kitchen entered Rin, holding onto a small broom with a small dust tray in the other hand. She gave him a glare as she got down onto her knees and started sweeping the floor, making the hosts and Shiro stare.

"I'm pretty sure this was my duty yesterday," she said.

"I'm sure you're step-parents wouldn't mind an extra bit of money for doing more cleaning." Kyoya stated as he accidentally walked into the tray, knocking it out of her hands as the glass she had swept up clattered back onto the ground.

Shiro, though he didn't much respect for anyone or anything, had his limits. And treating a girl like trash for no reason was not tolerated. Especially since she was a girl. He had some standards.

Hikaru growled at Kyoya's back as he stood there with his annoying smirk, causing Kaoru to try and talk him out of strangling him to death.

"You shouldn't make her do chores just because she's a girl!" Shiro yelled, making everyone in the room stare at him as he kept his glare. "You should make the queer handle doing the chores!" he finished, making him lose any creditably he might have earned from his previous statement. "Instead, hurry up and teach me how to make a woman happy!"

"What kind of attitude is that?" Tamaki asked as his eye twitched. "And above all, I'm not letting you get away with smarting off of Haruhi. Place him in isolation!"

"Yes, sir!" the twins saluted, right as a giant cage fell from the ceiling as it slammed down on the ground, dust flying up from the sudden crash.

"What is this!?" Shiro demanded as he held onto the bars. "How come I've got cell bars dropping down on me!?"

"Yeah, really, why?" Haruhi asked. "This _is_ supposed to be a music room, right?"

"You could have told me so I could have moved," Rin grumbled as she held onto the bars, the glass on the ground behind her along with the broom and dust pan.

Tamaki's eyes widened once he realised that she was inside the cage and not outside it beside him. "Ah!" he screamed. "My precious daughter! But he'll escape if I let you out!"

"You're going to leave me in here? For how long?"

"Boss, you can't let her out?" Hikaru asked.

"I would if he wasn't there too."

Hikaru walked up to the bars as he placed his hands on top of hers with a smirk. "Wish I could rescue you, princess."

"I really don't want to spend the night in here because I wasn't told that we had a giant cage in here," Rin said with a pout.

"Come on, let me out! Is this any way to treat your dear apprentice!?" Shiro screamed as he jumped onto the bars, shaking them to try and escape.

"You stay in there until you learn your lesson," Tamaki said as he took a seat, sipping on the tea in his hands. "I took you as my apprentice because you were serious about wanting to become a host, but maybe my expectations were wrong."

Shiro went quiet for a moment as he looked over at the person trapped inside with him. Rin. She had a very annoyed, yet sad look on her face as she stood there trapped. He felt bad, but he didn't know how to say that to her. And that's what he needed help with. To express himself to her. To _that_ girl.

"I _am_ serious. _Seriously_ serious," he said as he turned back to Tamaki. "I want to become a host, too!" He fell down to his knees as he faced the ground, his eyes closed as he struggled to express his thoughts into words. He was doing this for _her_. He had to remember that. "I don't have any time! Show me how! You like girls, too…You like seeing girls with happy faces, so that's why you're a host, right? Please, show me how to do it! You're a genius at it, aren't you, King!?"

Genius?

Tamaki gasped, his eyes widened as his cheeks turned red, a smile growing on his face. "Well, you may be sassy, but your will to become a host does at least seem to be genuine. Moreover, you _are_ a lot like me in some ways."

"You poor kid," Haruhi muttered.

"Then, you'll turn me into the kind of host that can make women happy!?"

"A host that is unable to make a woman happy is no host at all. Same as a hostess unable to make men happy is no hostess. Very well. If that's how badly you want it, think about how best to use the material you've got to work with."

"Material?" Shiro asked.

"At Ouran Host Club, our fundamental policy is to use our own personal characteristics to meet the needs of our guests," Kyoya stated. "Staring with the 'princely type', Tamaki…"

Tamaki posed with two white roses in his hands – The princely type

Princely = a person who treats women with upper-class etiquette.

"The strong, silent type…" Mori-_senpai_ posed with a single deep blue rose.

Strong and Silent = a person who is quiet and but is strong emotionally.

"The boy-Lolita type…" Honey-_senpai_ posed with Usa-_chan_ and a pink rose.

Boy-Lolita = an older boy who is child-like and cute.

"The little-devil type…" Hikaru posed with a light blue rose while Kaoru posed with an orange rose, their arms linked together.

Little-Devil = a person who is very mischievous and a troublemaker.

"The cool type…" Kyoya held up a lavender rose with a smirk.

Cool = a person who is laid-back and is self-assured.

"We pride ourselves on our many variations. With the addition of our honour student, natural rookie, Haruhi…"

"Natural type?" Haruhi asked as she pointed to herself, red roses around her.

Natural = a person with innate talent for an activity.

"And our innocent charmer, Rin…"

Innocent charmer = a person who is pure and naïve, but still attractive

Rin held out a forget-me-not with a sweet smile, which showed the difference between the hosts and the hostess.

"…We've got just about the perfect assortment," Kyoya continued. "I'm not so sure we're going to find a new type beyond these."

"His age suggests the boy Lolita type…" Hikaru started.

"…But that would overlap with Honey-_senpai_," Kaoru finished.

"Am I in the way now?" Honey-_senpai_ cried, tears going down his face.

"Tepid! Quite tepid!" Renge yelled as the powerful motor kicked in, pushing the floor apart as she rose up on the podium, spinning around as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Like I said, this _is_ supposed to be a music room, right?" Haruhi asked.

"Gentlemen of the Host Club, to think that you'd be so lackluster in your character analysis, I am a little dumbfounded." A smirk drew on her face as she noticed the second person inside the cage. "Ooh, I have to get a photo of this!" she said as she pulled out her pink flip phone and started to take a photo with the flash on, blinding her for a second.

"Bud out otaku," Hikaru said as he gave Rin a wink.

"Why must you be so mean to me!?" Renge gasped as she held onto her phone. "Fine, whatever, I guess it can wait." She put her phone away with a groan.

"All right, Renge-_kun_, how would you work with the material he's got?" Tamaki asked. "We've already got the boy Lolita type covered with Honey-_senpai_." He held up the crying boy in question.

"This is why I say you're lackluster! Listen up! While it's true that there are some girls who feel their hearts beat faster in a way that's hard to explain over boys of a younger age group, or who have baby-faces, who we call _shotokon_ fans, it is still a fairly broad category whose preferences can be further split into even more delicate classifications."

The hosts were eagerly listening while Kyoya was writing notes.

"Yes, while Haninozuka-_senpai_ may represent the little boy type of this boy Lolita category, in _his_ case, the direction he should take…Is the naughty-boy type, without a doubt!"

"The naughty type…" Shiro muttered.

The cage slowly lifted off the ground as it disappeared back into the ceiling, making Rin sigh with relief. "About time," she muttered as she walked over to the hosts.

Renge blew a whistle that had now suddenly appeared around her neck. "The essentials of the naughty type include…"

She rushed over to Shiro and bent down. "…Always wearing shorts." She checked his shorts, which were part of the Ouran elementary boy uniform. "Okay!"

She blew the whistle again. "Playing up your naughtiness…"

Hikaru and Kaoru rushed over as they pushed Shiro to the ground and bent down beside him. "With skinned knees and cheeks!" Kaoru placed bandages on his cheek and legs while Hikaru drew on scars with a marker.

She blew the whistle again. "Run, like a spoiled child! Make it reckless!"

Shiro bolted out into a run, flailing his arms and legs about as he did so.

She blew the whistle again. "When you get there, trip, and make it big!"

A long piece of rope appeared in the middle of the room as Shiro tripped over it dramatically, landing on his knees as his face almost hit the ground.

"Are you alright, Shiro?" Rin asked like she was ordered to.

She blew the whistle again. "Okay, then you say your line immediately!"

Shiro had a hardened look on his face as he wiped his mouth with his hand. "It's nothing. No big deal."

"Perfect! It's perfect!" Renge gushed as she held her hands to her cheeks.

"Outstanding," Tamaki said as he gave them a clap. "That was perfect coaching, Renge-_kun_."

Renge gave out her wicked laugh as her ego started to inflate.

_Idiots…These people are idiots… _Shiro thought as he stood up.

"Never mind!" he screamed. "There's no way I'll make her happy with this."

"Her?" Haruhi asked.

"Hey, Shiro!" Tamaki called as Shiro bolted out of the room, slamming the doors behind him. "You still have your applied technique lesson coming up!"

"Younger boys are just no good for anything, huh?" Renge said as she stood on her pedestal, the powerful motor starting. "After I took the trouble of coaching him, he won't keep going." She then disappeared back into the ground.

Rin walked out the door, knowing she would have a better chance of talking to the young boy about what he was going through. After all, he hadn't said anything bad about her yet.

"What a selfish kid, not taking a liking to the lessons he was getting," Tamaki said.

"Typically, no one _would_ take a liking to that sort of lesson," Haruhi commented. "But never mind that, aren't you a little bit concerned about him?"

"_I don't have any time! Show me how!"_

"'I don't have any time'. What could that mean? What's more, he said something about a, 'her'."

…

Rin walked down the hallway, noticing a little boy sitting up against the wall with a somber look on his face. Shiro. She walked up to him and sat down beside him, wondering if he would run away. But he didn't.

"What do you want?" he asked with a glare.

"You have your eyes set on someone, don't you?" she asked as she turned her head towards him, making his eyes widen. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing could come out. But his thoughts were racing. "You don't have enough time to tell her how you truly feel, do you…? I've been there Shiro."

"How could you know how I feel, huh?" he asked with a growl, his fist clenching.

"There was a boy I liked in fifth grade who I had taken a liking too. He was named Camden, but he was leaving to go America…I never got to tell him how I felt, I was too shy to say anything. And then he left."

Shiro stared down at the floor, taking her words in carefully. "You want us to help you say those words, to make her happy. You want to be able to do what I could not."

Shiro stood himself up, his back up against the wall. "What happened?"

"I never saw him again…But you don't have to do that. Just tell them what you really want, and they'll be able to help."

"It'll be too late then," he muttered as he kept his gaze on the floor, walking away, his footsteps echoing in the silent hallway.

She sighed as she turned back around, ready to walk back to the Third Music Room. "Do you wish you had told him?" a voice asked. The figure stood behind one of the pillars as she shook her head.

"What I felt then was not real. If I had told him, I would've had another scar on my shoulder." Hikaru's eyes widened, but she walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "He threw a rock at me because he didn't know how to show his feelings. Don't worry, I'm glad I didn't tell him. I wouldn't have met you if I did."

"Well, that's good isn't it?" he asked with a smirk and she nodded as she tilted her head up and pressed her lips against his. He quickly responded and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible.

"A bit eager, huh?" she asked with a laugh. "Can't you wait till we get home?"

"You're putting too much faith in me," he whispered as he pressed his lips to hers again, the kiss lasting longer as the passion between them increased.

"As much as I'd like to continue, they'll worry if we're too long," she said as she ran her fingers through his hair. She gave him a kiss on the cheek as she smiled. "Come on, before they start a new scheme."

* * *

"How did we get to this point?" Haruhi asked.

"We snuck in easily enough," Honey-_senpai_ said. "I look like I'm in grade school dressed like this, so I'll be okay, Haru-_chan_."

Honey in elementary-school disguise

"You sure do. I can understand you wearing an elementary-school uniform to sneak into the elementary school, and Honey-_senpai_, I do think you look good in that, but why do I have to dress up in a middle-school outfit?"

Haruhi in middle-school disguise

"_All right, the mission is underway," Tamaki said. _

"_Mission?" Haruhi asked._

"_What one?" Honey-senpai asked._

_The club room was in full darkness, the only light in the room coming from a few lit candles and the glowing smirks and eyes of the other members. _

"_Judging from the situation, I've decided that our special infiltration team…Will be you two."_

"_But what mission?" the two asked nervously._

"We're standing out plenty," Haruhi said. "Was there any reason for these disguises?" she asked as all the elementary students were staring at them.

The door behind them suddenly opened, revealing the rest of the club members watching from the darkness.

"There _is_ a reason. There's a damn good reason," Tamaki said.

"Is there a reason for me wearing this?" Rin asked as she walked out wearing the elementary school girl uniform, which was a very bright pink shirt and dark pink skirt.

"They'll need backup. You're going in too."

"Like I believe that for a second," she muttered as she walked out of the darkness and out into the open hallways, the elementary school students changing their stares over to her.

"What are you doing Rin-_chan_?" Honey-_senpai_ asked as she stood beside them.

"Even you look more like an elementary student than me being a middle school student," Haruhi grumbled as she looked down at the uniform she was wearing and at the brown, long haired wig on her head.

"Haru-_chan_, Rin-_chan_, that way!" Honey-_senpai_ said as he grabbed hold of their arms, pointing down the hallway as the two started to follow. Rin just laughed as Haruhi continued to grumble as they were dragged down the hallway.

"How cute…" the twins said.

"Ah, in that miniskirt, she almost looks like a doll," Tamaki gushed at Haruhi, his face flushed red.

"In other words, you just wanted to see her like that," Kyoya said with a smirk.

…

Honey-_senpai_ slowly opened one of the classroom doors, looking inside to make sure there was no one there to catch them. "In here. This is Shiro-_chan_'s classroom," he said as he walked in. "When I was in elementary school, this was my classroom, too."

He giggled as he ran around the room, feeling the nostalgia kick in.

Haruhi and Rin quickly walked inside, inspecting the room. Haruhi walked to stand beside a random desk in the middle of the room, brushing her hand against it. "There's nobody here."

"Oh, there's no one here, is there?" Tamaki asked as he and the rest of the members casually walked through the door and into the classroom.

"This takes me back," the twins said in unison.

"I wonder if my graffiti is still here," Kaoru thought.

"The school chances out all desks each year, unless for special request," Kyoya said with his hands in his pockets.

"Let's go to the cafeteria after this," Hikaru suggested.

"And the gymnasium, too," Kaoru added.

"Good idea, good idea," Tamaki said with a nod.

"If you're going to come in such large numbers, there's no reason to disguise ourselves and sneak in, is there?" Haruhi whispered with a glare.

"You haven't realised they did it just to see you in a skirt?" Rin asked her as she leaned against the teacher's long desk.

"Who cares?" Hikaru asked as he sat on the desk beside Rin.

"There's nobody here," Kaoru said.

Then, of course, they heard the sound of footsteps heading down the hallway towards them. Each of the members silently gasped as they all tried to find places to hide. Rin and Hikaru hid underneath the teacher's desk, while the others tried to hide themselves underneath the student's small desks.

"If the teacher finds us…" Kaoru started.

"…It sure will be a pain coming up with an excuse why we snuck in," Hikaru finished.

"Shh! Be quiet!" Haruhi whispered with her index finger to her mouth. "Zip your lips!" She moved her hand to the other side of her lips, pretending to zip it up as she gave them a glare.

_How terribly cute she is!_

Hikaru tried to move out from underneath the teacher's desk to stand up and check, but he ended up banging his head against the desk, making him curse. Rin quickly covered his mouth with her hand, trying to keep him silent.

"Shh," she whispered. "Let's not get us caught."

He gave a little whimper as she moved closer to him, using her other hand to move her fingers through his hair, checking for any bruising or red marks. She lifted her head a little as she gave him a sweet kiss on the head where she assumed it was hurting him. "Any better?"

He gave a smirk, realising what he could do. "I think my lips are hurting too," he whispered as she also smirked, moving even closer to him.

"Should I make it better then?" she asked and he nodded.

She pressed her lips against his as he wrapped his arms around her waist, practically making her sit on his lap as she ran hers through his hair. The two couldn't hear the footsteps any longer, but that wasn't going to stop them.

"Looks like he's gone," Haruhi said as she stood up, looking out the doorway carefully. "But now that we've snuck in like this, how are we going to find out more about Shiro-_kun_?"

Rin slowly moved herself away with a smile on her face. "You almost got us caught," she whispered.

"It was very worth it, princess," he whispered as he pecked her lips.

"Here's something interesting," Kyoya said from the other side of the room. Rin crawled out from underneath the desk, pushing herself up to stand as she saw Kyoya staring at something on the wall.

"What is it?" Haruhi asked as she walked over.

Kyoya pointed to a certain picture inside a golden frame, a picture of a young boy and a young girl sitting together at the piano, the boy playing.

"Shiro-_kun_?" Haruhi asked.

"The Classical Music Club, huh?" Kyoya said as he thought aloud.

"He seems to be enjoying himself. So, Shiro-_kun_ really can look like that, when he smiles."

"Yeah," Tamaki said.

Rin gave a small smile as she stared at the picture, feeling joy at the sight of the young boy's smile. And that girl beside him, it must have been the one who he had fallen deeply in love with.

…

Elementary Music Room

The three in their disguises stood outside, crouched at the window as they looked in on the elementary students either practicing or talking inside. Shiro sat on the window ledge on the other side of the room, staring into space.

"There he is. That's Shiro-_chan_," Honey-_senpai_ stated.

"Takaoji-_kun_…" They could hear a girl from inside as she walked up to Shiro. He turned and saw the cute girl with long, brown pigtails and big brown eyes. "Did you practice the new piano piece?"

"No, not that much," he responded.

"Well then, I'll show you. Come play it with me."

"Nah, that's okay. There's only one grand piano. You should use it, Kamishiro."

"Okay, I will." She gave a smile as she turned slightly. "But if you want to play, too, just say so." She walked over to the grand piano, taking a seat as she placed her sheet music in front of her. She opened up the cover as she started to play the beautiful music.

Rin watched as a smile formed on Shiro's face as he listened to her playing, and it brought a smile to her face as well. But for a different reason. Tamaki stared through with his arms crossed, a serious look on his face while Haruhi stared with her mouth open.

A young girl walked out of the room as she closed the door behind her. "Pardon me, miss…" Tamaki said, catching the girls' attention. He pulled out a white rose as he gave her a charming smile. "I could not find a rose more beautiful than you, but please, take this."

"No need to flirt with children," Rin muttered.

"Incidentally, I wonder if you would tell me about that girl playing the piano."

"Kamishiro Hina-_chan_?" the girl asked.

"Hina-_chan_, is it?"

"You better not go falling in love with Hina-_chan_. You know what? Hina-_chan_ is going to be moving away real soon. Her father has to move to Germany for his job before the end of next week."

"What are you doing!?" Shiro screamed as he ran out of the room and stood in the hallway. "What are you doing here!?"

Tamaki quickly nudged Rin forward, indicating to her to use her charm. She gave a smile as she bent down to his level. "Am I an idiot, Shiro-_kun_?" she asked.

He stuttered for a bit, and Tamaki took this sudden opportunity to grab hold of Shiro, lifting him over his shoulder. "Hey! What are you doing!?" He kicked and flailed as he tried to escape, but it was no use. Hina walked out to see what the screaming was, and he went silent as he watched her confused and worried face. "Put me down! Put me down!"

"Stop thrashing around. Guys, we're leaving," Tamaki said in a serious tone as he walked down the hallway.

"Put me down!"

"Nothing's going to happen to him," Rin said as she bent down and patted Hina's shoulder. "We're just helping him. Okay?"

She tilted her head to the side with a smile. Hina was silent for a minute before she nodded. Rin handed her a forget-me-not as she gave a wink. "That might give you a little hint."

She stood back up as she turned and followed the hosts down the hallway, the Host Club members all heading back to the Third Music Room.

…

Shiro groaned as he was thrown onto the large, red couch, the room dark as the curtains remained closed from earlier. "What do you think you're doing, you idiot king!?"

"_You're_ the idiot. Teach you how to make women happy, you say? Don't make me laugh! However much you ask, how are we to answer that? It's not some unspecified number of girls you want to make happy, it's just one girl, Kamishiro Hina, isn't it?"

Shiro gasped, his eyes widening as he looked over at Rin. She shook her head, showing she hadn't said a word of her deductions to him.

"Only you can find the way to do that, right? Listen to me, as hosts, it's our job to make the girls happy. But the truth is, when it comes to a single girl that you like, it's not as a host that you must face her, but as a man. It's not being a full-fledged host that you want to become, it's a full-fledged man, isn't it?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. There's no time. I just wanted to at least watch her play as much as I could before she left. That's all."

"That set piece was a duet arrangement of a Mozart sonata, right?" Tamaki asked as he walked over to a yellow curtain in the middle of the room. He pulled it back and revealed two grand pianos. He opened the counter, revealing the white and black keys underneath.

"Isn't that why she asked _you_ to play?" Rin asked as she walked past him, smiling at Tamaki as she sat down at the second grand piano.

"Has there always been a grand piano in this room?" Haruhi asked.

"This _is_ supposed to be a music room, after all," Kaoru said.

"Yes, even though it may not be in use," Hikaru said.

"It _is_ a music room, after all," Kyoya said.

"Music room," Mori-_senpai_ confirmed.

"It was there before, it was just where you couldn't see it," Honey-_senpai_ said as he shoved a piece of cake in his mouth.

Shiro gasped as Rin and Tamaki started to play Mozart's sonata, the complicated but beautiful music echoing around the Third Music Room as everyone remained silent.

Shiro stood up from the couch, staring in wonder at the sight of the two playing together. "Awesome…" he whispered, realising how much better it started sounded with the two people playing together. But, there was something that seemed to be missing. He didn't enjoy it as much as he thought he would.

"_Takaoji-kun, you're always listening to me play the piano, huh? Do you like the piano? If so, let's learn it together."_

_It really wasn't the piano that I liked, _Shiro thought.

"_For the next week, your early mornings, lunch recesses, and after-school periods will be spent in concentrated piano training with Rin and I," Tamaki said. _

"_You'll need to be ready," Rin said. _

"_W-why?" Shiro asked._

"_You did become my apprentice, right?"_

"_It looked like Hina wanted nothing more than to play the piano with you…You must make her final wish here at Ouran come true, Shiro-kun."_

* * *

Music Room #3

Hina stared at the giant doors in front of her, looking down at the pink note in her hands that had been neatly written in black marker, a border of pink roses around the edges. The note read:

_You are invited September 3rd at 3pm to a private recital._

In her other hand was a forget-me-not that had appeared with the note. She knew this must have been from the blonde girl who had given it to her the other day, so she knew she was in the right place.

She placed her hand on the handle, opening it as a bright light shined through, red rose petals flying through the air. As the light faded, seven attractive men in white suits appeared, half on each side as they left a path for her to enter.

"Welcome, princess," they all said in unison.

"Today's main program will be Takaoji Shiro's…piano recital," Tamaki said as he directed her attention to the two grand pianos in the middle of the room. There sat Shiro at the first grand piano, staring down at the keys.

"If you wouldn't mind, princess," Rin said as she pulled out the chair for Hina to sit, wearing a long, white laced dress with white flowers. Hina blushed, smiling when Shiro turned his head as he smiled her way.

"Let's play together," he said with a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Mm-hmm!" Hina responded as she rushed over to the open seat at the second grand piano. Mozart's sonata filled the room as it brought a smile to the Hosts faces, even Kyoya and Mori-_senpai_'s faces, which was a rare occurrence. Shiro smiled at the sight of Hina's happy face as she played, enjoying her happiness more than the sounds coming from the piano.

"We've done a good thing," Tamaki said.

"Wholehearted love…Is that another way Shiro-_kun_ takes after you, Tamaki-_senpai_?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah, positively so."

Rin rested her head against Hikaru's shoulder as she watched them with a smile on her face. Shiro turned his head to see the hosts, and she gave him a thumbs up as she gestured to Hina. He smirked as he did the same to her, gesturing to Hikaru, making her laugh.

"You want them to be happy, huh?" Hikaru asked.

"I figured it out. That's why my flower is the forget-me-not. I believe in true love and happy endings." She moved her hand towards his, lacing it with hers as she watched the two ten year olds falling even more in love with the simple sounds of the piano.

* * *

10 days later

"So, you're exchanging emails with Hina-_chan_ in Germany every day?" Haruhi asked.

"More or less," he said. "But she's a lot more jealous than you'd expect. So let's keep the fact that I'm getting along so well with you pretty ladies a secret, okay?" He gave a smirk as he was surrounded by ten girls who were all entranced.

"Oh, how cute!"

"Pretty ladies, he says!"

"I wish he was my little brother."

"Naughty boys are the best!"

"I could just kiss you."

"Me too."

The two girls closest to him gave him kisses on the cheek as the other girls around them squealed, wanting to do the same.

"W-why does he have to take my guests, too?" Tamaki asked, a fire burning inside of him as he tried to keep himself calm.

"It's easy to be popular with the women," Shiro said with a smirk. "You had your guests taken from you so easily, are you sure you can call yourself the Host King?"

"Agh!" Tamaki screamed as he lunged for the kid, but the twins quickly rushed over as they struggled to hold him back.

"I thought he came off looking pretty good for a change…" Kaoru said.

"…But it ended up with this for a payoff after all," Hikaru finished.

"He really is just like Tamaki-_senpai_," Haruhi said. "I'm sure that _senpai _must have been like that when he was a child, too."

"I was not! I absolutely as not, Haruhi! I was…I was…just a little precocious innocent boy!"

Shiro looked at Rin with a giant grin as he gave her the peace sign as he laughed.

"Rin-_chan_! Tell them!" Tamaki screamed.

"I'd rather leave the past a secret," she said with a wink.

"Rin-_chan_! No fair! You're not helping at all!" he cried as she laughed.

* * *

Hikaru: All right, we're at the pool next!

Kaoru: We'll be able to see Rin and Haruhi in a swimsuit!

Rin: Oh, no! Honey-_senpai_ is being taken away by a swift current!

Haruhi: Next time, "_Jungle Pool SOS"_.

Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN:**

"Host Overboard – Jungle Pool"

{Episode Seven - Jungle Pool S.O.S!}

* * *

The waves gently crashed against the shore. Birds chirped as they flew through the sky. Some hid in the trees as they ruffled their feathers. Palm trees surrounding them. The sun shined down on them, its warm heat filling the air.

The perfect way to start the summer season, right?

Well, it would be if it was even summer. It was still very late spring.

And if it was in actual place instead of inside a dome.

_Am I dreaming? _Haruhi thought as she stared at her surroundings. _This is Japan. There aren't supposed to be any tropics here. _

"Look, Haruhi, there are birds from the south tropics here," Tamaki said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Pretty, aren't they? I wonder what kind of birds they're called."

"Where's the exit, again?" Haruhi asked with a groan.

"Spending time taking it easy like this is important for us to refine our round-the-clock beauty." He sat down on one of the lawn chairs with a tropical class in his hand.

"I don't care to spend time in such pointless activities, so can I go? I want to study, and I have to do my laundry today. Where is this place, anyway?"

A little earlier…3:38pm

Ouran Academy, south building, front

_Haruhi sighed as she walked out of the school, ready to go home when she was suddenly lifted off the ground and held in the air by both arms._

"_Abduction…" Kaoru began._

"…_Complete!" Hikaru finished._

"_Huh? What the…?" Haruhi yelled, her eyes widening._

_A limo then pulled up on the side of the rode, the back door right in front of them as the window rolled her. There sat Tamaki with sunglasses on and a red flower necklace around his neck. "All right, take her in."_

"_Roger!" the twins shouted with a smirk._

"_Just a minute. No!"_

A little later…3:41pm

Ouran Academy, south building, front

_As Rin walked out of the school building, she looked around for the twins as she was travelling home in their limo to get to their house. She screamed though as she was lifted off the ground, viewing someone's back._

"_Target…" Honey-senpai started._

"…_Captured." Mori-senpai finished._

"_Hey! Put me down! What's going on?" she shouted._

_A limo then pulled up on the side of the rode, the back door right in front of them as the window rolled her. There sat Tamaki with sunglasses on and a red flower necklace around his neck. "Good work gentlemen, take her with you."_

"_Yes sir!" Honey-senpai shouted as he saluted._

"_Wait! Where are we going?"_

"What is this place?" Rin asked as she looked around the area.

"This is a theme park that the Otori Group runs, The Tropical Aqua Garden," Kyoya said, swirling around his tropical drink.

"But Kyoya-_senpai_, didn't you say that your family ran a hospital, or did some kind of medical therapy work?" Haruhi asked.

"Well, it's a diversified enterprise that does lots of things, but you could say that this is related to therapy. There are many who suffer from stress or from feeling cooped-up, who would like to spend time in the south tropics, but for economic reasons or lack of time, are unable to go. This is a convalescent theme park, to help treat those people. The Otori Group is always thinking of the happiness of others."

_This sounds relentlessly shady, _she thought.

"It doesn't open until next month, but the Host Club has it reserved today on a special advance invitation."

"It feels so calm," Tamaki said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "There aren't any guests here that we have to serve, either. It truly is a handsome young warrior's holiday, I guess you could call it."

…

"Haru-_chan_! Rin-_chan_!" Honey-_senpai_ cheered as he ran over, clinging onto their arms with a huge grin. "Want some coconut juice to drink? Or maybe some mango cake?"

"Um…sure, the coconut juice," Haruhi said.

"I'll have the cake with you, Honey-_senpai_," Rin said as he giggled.

"Okay!" he cheered, spinning them around before he ran off towards one of the benches were they served drinks and sweets. Haruhi watched as Honey-_senpai_ picked up one of the plates. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Mori-_senpai_ walking around the area, watching the birds as they flew past.

Rin took the plate off Honey-_senpai_ as she rustled his hair. He gave a killer cute smile before he ran off to jump back into the pool. "You should've got this cake."

"Not much of a fan of sweets," Haruhi replied.

"Haruhi, Rin, let's go down the waterslide!" Kaoru said.

"Then again, what's with the pullover?" Hikaru asked with his mouth full with a banana.

"What, this…" Haruhi trailed off as she tugged on the yellow jumper.

Just a little earlier…4:02pm

In front of the changing room

_Haruhi whined as the twins dragged her towards the female change rooms, Rin walking behind as she tried to hide her laughter at the sight. _

"_Okay, take care of them," the twins said with smirks on their faces. _

"_Very well," the first twin maid said._

"_Okay, Fujioka-sama, Hayashi-sama. This way," the second twin maid said._

"_Just a minute!" Haruhi said as she backed away, the twins blocking her path of escape. _

"_Suck it up, manly man," Rin said with a smirk as she entered the changing room. The two maids grabbed hold of Haruhi as they shoved her into the room, slamming the door behind them._

"_Just a minute! Just a minute!"_

"_We have some swimsuits available for you in this room."_

"_We brought all of this year's latest, that our mom designed," Kaoru shouted so they could hear him. _

"_You can choose whichever one you want," Hikaru said as Tamaki happened to walk up behind them, wondering what the all the commotion was._

"_Okay, Hayashi-sama, are you ready to select?" the maids asked in unison._

"_I have to choose between all of these? But they're all so good."_

"_Glad to know, princess," Hikaru called with a smirk from outside._

"_But of course. Take your time."_

_Rin gave a nod as she walked around the large changing room, staring at the various types of swimsuits. Many different styles, colours and designs that made it hard for her to choose. _

"_Okay, Fujioka-sama, please select one."_

"_No, I don't need a swimsuit."_

"_Well then, I will select one for you."_

"_Hold on, not that one. I don't want a bikini."_

_Tamaki edged closer to the door, trying to listen into the conversation, pushing through the twins. _

"_What's wrong with that?" Rin asked as she pointed to it._

"_But you'd look so good in this one…"_

"_Oh look. This one would be cute," one of the maids said._

"_Eh? But that's nothing more than strings, isn't it?"_

_Tamaki's face flushed red as steam poured out from his ears, his body going limp as he fell to the ground at the image._

_Haruhi stared down at the swimsuit she was forced to wear. A pink one-suit with a white skirt attached with a matching pink hat and sandals. She was basically wearing a swimsuit a little girl would wear for her first swimming lesson._

_Rin, on the other hand, chose a white bikini top with a greyish blue, high-waisted bottoms, white bottoms going up the side. She also had a blue ribbon in her hair to hold up her ponytail and had blue sandals._

"_Are you going to come outside anytime soon?" Rin asked as she placed her hand on the door knob._

"_In a minute. It's a bit embarrassing," Haruhi said as her cheeks reddened from embarrassment._

"_It is kind of embarrassing," she murmured as she opened the door, shutting it behind her as she walked out into the "summer" heat. She noticed a smirking Hikaru standing off to the side, leaning against a totem pole. _

"_I figured you'd pick that one," he said as he walked over to her._

"_You seem to know me too well," she said as she tilted her head, glancing down at the material she was wearing._

"_My mother designed that one specifically for you. She thought you'd look good in it."_

"_So, was she right?"_

_Hikaru's smirk grew wider as he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close to his now shirtless body as she laughed. "I guess she was, huh? Am I that irresistible?"_

"_What do you think?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her lips which made her rest her hands on his chest._

"_I personally don't mind the view either," she whispered, their lips brushing against each other's. _

"_Don't tease me." He snaked his arms even tighter around her waist, trying to pull her closer as the two became more passionate. But of course, the moment was ruined when the door to the changing room started to open._

"_Why does this always happen?" he grumbled as she held his hand. _

"_Let's just go, she's a bit embarrassed about what she's wearing," Rin said as she dragged Hikaru off towards the other Host members. _

_As Haruhi stepped out of the room, Tamaki appeared out of nowhere around the corner, avoiding looking at her. But once he did, his cheeks turned red as he looked her up and down. She seemed to sparkle right before his eyes. A huge shiver went up his spine as the butterflies grew in his stomach. He quickly turned his head as he looked down, holding up an outfit on a coat hanger._

_The ugly yellow jacket with green plaided shorts._

"_Senpai?" Haruhi asked._

"_H-hurry and put this on," he stuttered. "Girls should only show off that much skin after they get married."_

"That's the lame excuse he used?" Rin asked as she folded her arms.

"So, you're not going swimming?" Hikaru asked as he tossed away the banana peel, not caring where it landed.

"By any chance, can you not swim?" Kaoru asked.

"I think I can swim as well as the next guy, but I'm just not very interested in this place, and I'd rather just go home than goof around here swimming."

Lazybones heroine

"How could you deny a free vacation like this?" Rin asked. "This place, while strange as we have no idea where it is, is quite amazing."

"What's so great about this overblown facility, anyway?" she replied. "A vinyl pool should be all you need for playing in the water."

"What's a vinyl pool?" the twins asked.

"Let's see…They're about this big, and you pump them up full of air." She motioned her hands in a large oval shape to show what it was.

Plastic Pool

"Dummy," Hikaru said.

"That's called an air boat," Kaoru said. He motioned the shape of a boat with oars on either side.

Inflatable Boat

"There's no way something that small could be a pool."

"Yeah."

"It _is_ a pool. Little kids play in them a lot, you know?" Haruhi argued.

"They grew up wealthy, they would have had their own pools at that age," Rin whispered, in case she had forgotten how rich they were.

Tamaki suddenly rushed over as he grabbed the twins by the shoulders, dragging them away so he could talk to them in "private".

"You idiots. Haruhi think it's a pool, so let it be a pool," he loudly whispered. "Don't go embarrassing Haruhi. She only has a pitiful commoner's knowledge."

"Huh? But a boat is a boat," the twins stated.

"For some reason, I'm feeling incredibly unpleasant."

"Rin!" Tamaki called in horror once he noticed what she was wearing. "How can you walk around dressed like that with these perverted boys around!?"

"Like what?" she asked as she looked at herself. "Wearing a bathing suit?"

"Cover yourself up this instant, young lady." He pulled out a green hoodie from out of nowhere and chucked it at her.

"There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing. This is ridiculous."

"Yeah, she looks pretty good," Hikaru purred into her ear, making her shiver.

"That is no way you should be talking to your sister."

"Never mind that, there's something that's bothering me," he continued.

"Sir, why did you make them wear that pullover?" Kaoru asked.

Gulp

"Ordinarily, you'd think…"

"_I want to see Haruhi and Rin in a swimsuit!"_

"…Would be the first thing you'd say," Hikaru finished.

"This is unexpected," Kaoru said.

"I can't imagine it's this, but do you think it might be because he doesn't want any punks beside himself to see their skin, or something like that?" they said in unison.

"Oh, is that what it is?" Kaoru asked.

"That would be quiet underhanded of him, huh?" Hikaru said.

"It'd be disgusting, all right."

"Y-you idiots! As their father, it's only natural, being their guardian, that I would do so…After all, even wearing a swimsuit, it's not right for a girl to expose her skin openly in front of boys."

The twins pointed over at the two girls, making Tamaki stop his rant and turn around. Rin had her hands on her hips while Haruhi glared at him.

"Would you like to continue?" Rin asked as she growled.

"Haru-_chan_! Rin-_chan_!" Honey-_senpai_ exclaimed as he held their arms. "Let's go play! They have a current pool over there."

"No, I'm not swimming today," Haruhi said.

"I'd love too, if Tamaki would let me take off this horrid jacket," Rin commented.

"Huh? Honey-_senpai_, do you not know how to swim?"

He shook his head. "Just looks cuter this way," he said as he spun around, giggling as he ran off towards the current pool.

"Because of the bunny design."

I get it

"Sweet and innocent," the twins said.

"Too adorable!" Rin gushed.

"Tepid! Quite tepid!" Renge exclaimed as the powerful motor kicked in, pushing the floor apart as she rose up on the podium, spinning around as she held a purple umbrella in her hands.

"Renge-chan?" Haruhi asked. "Is that rig set up everywhere?"

"I wish she'd just leave us alone," Rin sighed.

"That's an amazing get-up," Hikaru said sarcastically.

"What's that pattern on your belly?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh, don't you know? I'm cosplaying."

"Who are you?"

"La-la."

"La-La? The manga magazine?"

"A dream, risen from the abyss; those blue eyes, lighting up young men's faces; that tone of voice…See? I'm Kisaragi Quon!"

"You're missing the red curly hair and the blue eyes," Rin pointed out, and considering that Renge named herself as an otaku and a queen of cosplaying, this was a very lazy effort.

"We can't tell," Haruhi said.

"We can't tell that at all," Tamaki said with a nod.

Renge, noticing Haruhi standing in front of her, started doing poses, trying to get her attention. Sadly, it wasn't working the way she planned.

"Hey, sir, are you sure it's okay for a girl to be dressed up…" Hikaru started.

"…Like that?" Kaoru finished, gesturing to Renge.

"That might be okay."

"Why?"

"Maybe because it's cosplay?"

"T'es débile!?" Rin asked as she folded her arms. "She's dressed more revealing than I was."

"In any case, your understanding of Haninozuka-_senpai_ is lukewarm!" Renge interrupted, pointing over at the boy in question.

"Takashi!" he called as he jumped into the current pool, waving as he swam past. "Whee!" Mori-_senpai_ gave him a smile as he watched his older cousin.

"How do you mean?" Tamaki asked.

"It's just like he got done saying."

"_Just looks cuter this way."_

"I do not see that as being sweet and innocent."

"Indeed it isn't," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses. "Place a subject at the end of the sentence, and you'll see."

"_Just looks cuter this way…don't I?"_

"He planned that!?" the five asked in shock, their eyes widening.

"That's Haninozuka-_senpai_ for you. Apparently, he felt threatened in his position as the little boy type from last episode, so he seems to be taking steps to fortify himself. I'd got to give him more credit. He is quite deep." Renge stepped onto her pedestal, the powerful motor starting as she disappeared back into the ground.

"Look over here, everyone!" Honey-_senpai_ yelled. The five turned their heads to see Mori-_senpai_ swimming in the current pool with a grinning Honey-_senpai_ sitting on his back.

Swimming briskly against the current…

"Look! See? Even as hard as we're swimming, we never move forward from the same place!"

Impossible to make out

_So, what's the deal? _Tamaki thought.

_Is that guy really that deep? _Haruhi thought.

The sound of a gun pumping formed in the background, making Tamaki turn his head to the sound. His eyes widened as a spray of water splashed into his face, muffling his screams of protest.

"Bulls-eye!" Hikaru said with laughter as he held the water gun.

"Sir, let's play! Water gun battle!" Kaoru said, holding another water gun.

"Me and Kaoru on a team against you, sir. If you get it in the face, you lose and there's a penalty game."

"Hmph, who'd want to play along with that childish game?" Tamaki asked as he dried his face with a towel.

Rin raised her hand into the air with a smile. "Can I play?" she asked.

"Rin-_chan_! You're too civilised for this!" Tamaki whined.

"Sir, you'll have a teammate if you play," the twins said in unison.

"Forget it."

The twins got devilish smirks on their faces as they grabbed hold of the two girls, knowing this would be the only to convince him.

"Rin, let's get married right now," Hikaru said as he grabbed her around the waist.

"Geez, you move quite fast," she said with a wink, catching onto their game.

"We'll have our honeymoon in Atami!" Kaoru said to Haruhi as he grabbed hold of her arm.

Pump!

Tamaki grabbed hold of one of the water guns and began vigorously pumping the water gun, furious as his eyes filled with tears at the "horrid" thought.

"You think anyone is about to let dear Haruhi and Rin marry _you_ guys!? Daddy will not allow it!"

…

Rin sighed as she sat down behind a rock, finally having some time alone for herself. Her teammate – Tamaki – had vanished which gave her enough time to take off the horrid green jacket she was forced to wear.

"How ugly," she muttered as she started unzipping it.

"Well that's not nice," Hikaru said with a smirk as he leaned over the rock, not too far from her face. She gave a yelp as she jumped up, frightened from the sudden surprise.

"You scared me!" she said as she tried to calm herself down.

He gave a chuckle, shrugging his shoulders as an apology. "Hiding from your own teammate?"

"Just wanted to get out of this jacket." She slid the material off her shoulders and chucked it to the ground, not caring if it got dirty. "Now I just need my gun."

He smirked as he held it in front of her face, making her roll her eyes. "Please, oh handsome man, do not hit me with water," she jokingly pleaded, making him chuckle again as she handed it over to her.

"You know we're really only out for Tamaki, right?"

"How could I not? But, it's fun playing a damsel sometimes."

"You didn't enjoy it much when Renge said it."

She gave one of her beautiful smiles. "If you're there to save me, I wouldn't mind needing to be rescued."

"And if I saved you, what would my reward be, princess?" he whispered as he grabbed hold of her waist, pulling her close as their body's collided.

"Anything my knight would like," she whispered as she gave him a wink.

He leaned his head down, capturing his lips with hers as she tried to pull him even closer. He smirked into the kiss as he walked forwards, making her move as her back hit one of the palm trees surrounding them. He moved her arms up above her head as he moved down to kiss her neck. She gave a moan as she tilted her head, giving him more access to her neck.

"_Kaoru! There is no way you are marrying my Haruhi!" _they heard Tamaki scream from the distance, making them quickly separate.

"Dammit," Hikaru muttered as he slowly let go of her, backing up a few steps in annoyance. "He ruins everything, doesn't he?"

"He has amazing timing, don't you think?" She grabbed her jacket as she shrugged it back on, zipping it up all the way like Tamaki wanted.

"Why did he bother with that?" Hikaru asked.

"So perverted boys like you don't get any ideas," she replied with a smirk as she stepped closer to him.

"Can you really blame me though?"

And that's when Tamaki burst out from the bushes, a water gun in his hand with a furious look on his face. "Talking with the enemy! What has he done to you!?"

"Uh, do you honestly want to know?" Rin asked.

"What's that on your neck!? Did you take advantage of her!?" he screamed as he lunged towards Hikaru, flames erupting from the top of his head as he continued to scream. Hikaru quickly dodged as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Today was fun, princess," he said with a wink as he ran off, making Tamaki even angrier.

She giggled as she touched her neck, her cheeks turning red. "Geez, this boy will be the death of me…And himself."

…

Haruhi sat on the lounge chair underneath one of the umbrellas, enjoying the shade and one of the tropical drinks. Mori-_senpai_ walked up to her, stretching his arms and tilting his head to get the water out of his ears. Haruhi, curious, glanced over at the current pool where Honey-_senpai_ was.

Swimming against the current pool

The "I-can-do-it-by-myself" way

"Taking a break? Want something to drink?" she asked as she handed him her drink.

"Yeah."

Meanwhile, the game remained in play as the twins hid behind one of the trees, Tamaki spraying water at them in anger. And of course, he was fully out in the open. The twins moved out from their cover and started shooting while Tamaki raced towards them.

"Take this! Surefire sideways-leaping beam!" he screamed as he jumped to the side, spraying water as he flew through the air. The twins, not being idiots, pulled out two ancient shields and used them as cover. "That's against the rules!"

"They made the rules up," Rin muttered as she face palmed.

Then, as Tamaki turned himself around in the air, his foot landed on the banana peel that had previously belonged to Hikaru. He screamed as he slipped, sliding all the way towards the other side as his face slammed straight into the giant totem pole. From the bottom, each of the faces' eyes lit up as they turned a bright red, seeming to activate something.

"Well done," Rin said as she walked over to him, spraying him with water. "I win."

Mori-_senpai_ dropped the glass onto the ground, making Haruhi curious as Mori-_senpai_ seemed to dense danger. Then, there was an incredibly loud noise of running water. And a lot of water. Everyone turned and saw a giant wave surfacing from the current pool, right where Honey-_senpai_ was swimming.

He gasped right before the wave crashed onto his body, sending his body down deep under the waters, his pink bunny floaty flying into the air.

"Honey-_senpai_!" Haruhi and Rin screamed.

"Mitsukuni!" Mori-_senpai_ called as he took off into a sprint, hoping to get there in time. But, because of Tamaki, the banana peel was right in front of him as he slipped, skidding across the ground from the incredible speed of his run.

Haruhi stopped running as she watched in shock, wondering how he hadn't seen the banana peel that was right in front of him. "Mori-_senpai_…"

"Guys, we're going after Honey-_senpai_!" Tamaki ordered as he pointed up to the sky.

Mori-_senpai_ stumbled as he got to his knees. Rin held out her hand for him as he nodded in thanks, the two pulling him back to his feet.

"This pool is the shortest way! Charge!" He screamed as the Host Club members all bolted over to the right, heading towards one of the pools.

Well, all expect…

"Oh, that way is…" Kyoya started.

"There are alligators swimming there!" came the screams from them as they quickly raced back to where they were before. Kyoya sighed.

"Okay, that pool is out. Let's take this route!"

What do you think happened next?

"Agh!" Tamaki cried.

"They're here too!" the twins screamed.

"And here, too!" Haruhi shouted.

"Why are they everywhere!?" Rin shrieked.

The Host Club members, once they'd gotten out of the way, huffed and puffed as they tried to get their breath back. Kyoya stood behind them all, simply observing them.

"Why are there alligators here?" Haruhi asked.

"There can't be," Tamaki replied.

"And why are they just roaming around?" Rin asked.

"Those pools are the tropical animal area," Kyoya said as he wrote some information down into his little book. "I guess it _is_ dangerous to let the alligators run loose. Although, it's the current pool's switch location that's the problem here. I'll have to speak to the designers. I have to thank you. I've gotten some good date here."

"For what!?"

Guinea pigs?

"This is Tropical Aqua Garden's area map. This is our present location. To get to this point, where I predict Honey-_senpai_ got carried away to, we will need to go through the jungle area in the southern block. That's a range of about 800 meters."

"There seem to be a lot of indeterminate areas in this jungle along our way," Haruhi said nervously.

"Those are zones that are still under development."

"There could be things in there even more dangerous…" Hikaru started.

"…Than alligators," Kaoru finished.

"All right, this is a survival mission! We have to safely penetrate this jungle area, and rescue Honey-_senpai_!" Tamaki shouted.

* * *

The Host Club members all walked silently through the forest, searching all around to try and find Honey-senpai. They all hoped they would find him before dark. The animal sounds that come from the trees did not help put them at ease as they continued on their journey.

"This has all but become a real jungle in here," Tamaki said.

"I've been hearing lots of strange animal calls," Haruhi said as she looked around.

"These animal voices…" Hikaru started.

"…Couldn't be the real thing, right?" Kaoru asked.

"I'm not too sure. In all the work we do, we tend to be authenticity-orientated."

"All from your father," Rin muttered, but the others heard her.

"Huh?" the twins asked as they appeared on either side of her.

"I was invited to one of their events promoting their hospitals and medical care. Instead of hiring actors, they hired real dying and sick people to play the parts. The end result was catching Influenza A virus subtype H1N2, as his father informed me."

"When was that?"

"Very early last year, middle of winter of course."

"That would be my father's fault, not anything to do with me."

"Keep telling yourself that," she grumbled as she took a step away from him.

A loud, sudden crash broke conversation as they all turned around to see Mori-_senpai_ lying on the ground with a banana peel on his face. Rin bent down and lifted it off his face, chucking the banana peel behind her.

"Mori-_senpai_…" Hikaru started.

"Is acting about as clumsy as you, sir," Kaoru finished.

"What!?"

Mori-senpai sat himself up, right as the sky rapidly darkened as the "clouds" covered the "sun". As everyone looked up at the sky covered dome, Kyoya looked down at his watch. "Whoops, it must be squall time."

"Huh?" the twins asked.

"The squall?" Rin asked. And her question was quickly answered as a drop of rain fell onto her head. Then another. Then another. Then a downfall of pouring rain as she squealed as it soaked her and the rest down to the bone.

"Quickly! Into that hut!" Tamaki ordered.

…

The seven stood underneath the small hut in the middle of the jungle, all watching as the rain continued to pour. Rin, having her jacket soaked in rain water, took it off to prevent her from freezing to death from the cold water. Once she had, she felt warm arms wrap around her as they pulled her close to their chest. She smiled as she curled up closer. "Thank you," she said.

"Wouldn't want you freezing on us, princess," Hikaru said with a smirk.

"Mori-_senpai_ is awfully close to Honey-_senpai_, isn't he?" Haruhi asked. "Are they childhood friends, or something?"

"Those two…" Hikaru started.

"…Are cousins," Kaoru finished.

"Huh? They're relatives?"

"The Morinozukas have been serving the Haninozuka family for generations," Kyoya said.

Haruhi's imagination

She saw Honey-_senpai_ dressed in a traditional kimono with his giggling face while Mori-_senpai_, dressed in all black with a red handkerchief around his neck, bent down on his knees.

"Although, two generations ago, they became relatives by marriage, and the families' master-servant relationship has long since faded away," Hikaru said.

"Even so, Mori-_senpai_ has always accompanied Honey-_senpai_," Kaoru said.

"It must get his blood going," Tamaki said. "The blood of the vassals of vore, which flows through Mori-_senpai_."

"What a great story! I'm touched!"

"That's what you call a great story?" Haruhi asked.

Mori-_senpai_ remained out of the conversation, leaning up against the railing as he stared out into the darkened, raining jungle. His blank expression remained on his face, but all of the hosts knew that his mind was racing with worried thoughts. Haruhi stood up as she walked over towards him, gently touching his arm to get his attention.

"Mori-_senpai_, it'll be all right," she said. "Honey-_senpai_ is safe. He's tougher than you might think, and if he gets hungry, there are a lot of bananas on the trees."

"Hey, now…" the twins started.

"How is he going to respond to that?" Tamaki asked.

Mori-_senpai_ gently placed his palm down on top of Haruhi's head, showing her a smile that he didn't show much. "Yeah."

"D-don't tell me Mori-_senpai_ is out for my spot as Haruhi's daddy, too!"

Pit-a-pat…

"No, nobody is after that," the Hikaru stated.

"Not that silly in-law position," Kaoru commented.

"Who are you calling a silly in-law!?"

Kyoya rang the number on his phone, waiting for them to answer. "Yeah, it's me."

\- "Nyah! Silly in-law!" the twins teased.

\- "Oh, we've got a somewhat troubling situation."

\- "What did you call me!?" Tamaki screamed.

\- "Nyah! Silly in-law!"

…

Finally, the rain finally stopped and the sun shined through the glass dome once again. The usual three troublemaker hosts had no idea on what was happening.

"Mori-_senpai_, it's not that way," Haruhi said as she watched Mori-_senpai _walk out of the hut and into the bushes. "Honey-_senpai_ is in the other direction."

"No, he's this way."

Natural instinct

"Just a minute! It's too dangerous to go alone! I'll come with you!" She quickly ran after him, along grabbing the attention of the only other girl in the Host Club.

Rin turned her head as she saw Haruhi running after Mori-_senpai_. She looked over at the rest of the Host Club members who were still busy in their own little world. She rolled her eyes as she walked out of the hut, wondering where the two were going. She took off after them, hearing the sounds of Haruhi's screams as she discovered bugs, snakes and trying to jump onto logs.

Mori-_senpai_ turned his head. "Haruhi…" he said as he walked in front of her, lifting her up with one arm.

_That's the first time he's ever called me by name, _she thought as she blushed.

A little bit pleased

As he started to walk forward, Rin had to try and catch up to them, hoping that this decision to follow them wouldn't get her lost.

…

"Yeah, okay, at once, please," Kyoya said, hanging up the phone.

\- "Silly in-law! Silly in-law!"

\- "Shut up!"

\- "My family's private police force is going to send in a search team."

\- "Silly in-law! Silly in-law!"

\- "Shut up, I said!" Tamaki screamed.

\- "They're better equipped to find him than we are."

\- "Silly in-law! Silly in-law!"

\- "Shut up!"

\- "Let's go back to the gate and wait."

\- "Silly in-law! Silly in-law!"

"How many times are you going to say it!?"

"Hey, where are Mori-_senpai_, Haruhi and Rin?" Kyoya asked.

"…What?"

…

Tropical Aqua Garden General Administration Headquarters

Otori Family Private Police

"Emergency mobilization order. Emergency mobilization order. Kyoya-sama's friend has gone missing near the current pool. Search target is a small young man and a girl with blonde hair. Repeat, search target is a small young man and a girl with blonde hair. Also, eliminate any suspicious figures without mercy. Eliminate any suspicious figures without mercy."

…

_And, they're gone, _Rin thought as she sat down on a tree stump, giving a sigh. _The others are probably worried sick right now. I guess I shouldn't have run off on them without saying anything…_

She closed her eyes as she placed her head in her hands, trying to retrace her steps. But she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps which made her open her eyes. And the first sight she saw was multiple rifles pointed at her face, one pointed right between her eyes. She screamed as she fell backwards, falling off the tree stump and landing on the ground.

"Target confirmed."

She lifted her hands up into the air as she closed her eyes. "Please, don't shoot me! I didn't do anything!" she cried.

"It's alright, miss, you're coming with us."

The man closest to her grabbed hold of her arm as she flinched, kicking him away from her. "Don't touch me."

"Subject is resisting."

"What should we do now?"

"Use force, men."

"She's the subject missing, not suspicious."

"Use force, men," the man repeated as he pulled on her arm, but she used her leg to kick him in the jaw, making him grunt as he fell to the floor. He grabbed hold of his jaw with one hand, as he ordered another man to grab her. As he tried, she kicked him again, this time in the chest as she knocked the wind out of him.

"Officer down."

"Please, stay away from me," she said as she backed away before she took off into a run, trying her best to escape from the hundred men surrounding her.

"Subject's on the run."

"Use full force to get her back."

…

Mori-_senpai_ walked through the clearing in the jungle, still carrying Haruhi with one arm. He suddenly stopped though as he glared at the distance, the sound of numerous footsteps running towards them as Haruhi's eyes widened. Guards lid down from the vines in the trees, slamming their feet to the ground as they held their guns out.

"Target confirmed."

Small young man?

Haruhi blinked a few times as she continued to stare.

Suspicious figure?

Mori-_senpai_ glanced at all of them surrounding them in a circle, getting ready to attack if necessary. Two of the guards nodded at each other.

"The target has been captured by a suspicious man. Now taking subject into custody."

...

"Now that I think about it, I didn't tell them there were any other visitors," Kyoya said as he stopped walking. "Oh, well."

Completely inadequate explanation

…

"You there! Let the boy go, or we will resort to using force!"

"Oh, hold on!" Haruhi said, right before one of the guards grabbed her arm and tried to rip her out of Mori-_senpai_'s grip. She yelped in pain as Mori-_senpai _lifted his leg and kicked the police officer in the face, sending him flying through the air.

"The man is resisting! Ready to fire warning shots!"

"Haruhi! Mori-_senpai_!" Rin cried as she ran through the clearing, pushing past the plants as she quickly hid behind Mori-_senpai_'s giant figure. Other guards started running from where she had come from as they also held out their guns.

"What happened?" Haruhi asked.

"Is she the one?"

"Yes. She's resisting."

One of the guards used his leg to trip her, making Rin whimper as she held her ankle once she hit the ground. Mori-_senpai_, without hesitating, used his other hand and punched the guard in the face as his back slammed into one of the trees.

"Takashi, Haru-_chan_, Rin-_chan_, move!"

The three looked up and noticed a small, blonde haired boy swinging on one of the vines, giving out a battle cry like he was George of the Jungle. He jumped off as the momentum pushed him through the sky. He extended his leg out as he kicked one of the guards in the head, breaking through his visor as Honey-_senpai_ landed gently on the ground.

"What do you think you're doing, pipsqueak!?"

"No matter, get this one, too!"

Honey-_senpai _smirked as he grabbed hold of one of the guards, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming his back into the ground. He did the same to about five more of the guards before Mori-_senpai_ let Haruhi back onto the ground.

"…Whoa," Haruhi muttered.

In the blink of an eye, all of the guards were lying down on the ground, either unconscious or in too much pain to stand.

"Whoa."

"Don't go being so reckless," Honey-_senpai_ said. "Picking on my friends is a no-no."

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called as the rest of the Host Club members ran towards them. "Haruhi, are you all right!?"

"Ah, Tama-_chan_!" Honey-_senpai_ called.

Rin felt arms wrapped around her neck and she sighed as they pulled her close to their body. "Don't go running off without telling me," Hikaru whispered into her ear and she nodded.

"I won't, I promise," she replied as he gave her a quick peck on the lips. She knew he was worried about her, and she instantly regretted her decision of following the two.

"Huh?" Hikaru asked as he peered over the blonde's head, noticing the fallen guards scattered across the ground.

"Honey-_senpai_?" Kaoru asked.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki cried again as he grabbed hold of her in the same way that Hikaru had done to Rin, seemingly copying his actions. "I was worried about you."

Hikaru let go of Rin slowly as he walked over to the fallen guards, poking them to make sure they were still alive. "Not sure what happened here, but they seem okay."

"Well, Honey-_senpai_ was the one who did this, right?" Kaoru asked as he poked some of the guards too. "Then he must have been holding back."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Haruhi asked as she pinched the skin on Tamaki's hand, causing him to release his grip on her.

"Huh?"

"You don't know? The Haninozukas have been famous for their martial arts for generations," Hikaru said. "They've instructed not just the police and SDF, but overseas military forces, as well."

Distinguished family

"In particular, Honey-_senpai_ has been called the dreadnaught of the Haninozuka family, for as long as it's been around, and by the time he was in middle school, he was the nation champion in both karate and judo," Kyoya said.

Karate and judo champion – Honey-_senpai_

"Incidentally, Mori-_senpai _also became the nation champion in kendo, when he was in middle school," Tamaki said.

National kendo champion – Mori-_senpai_

"Honey-senpai, what are you doing here?" Kaoru asked.

"You know what? I reached the end of the current pool, so I went looking for everyone."

"We humbly apologise!" one of the guards said, bowing on his hands and knees. "I am a 2nd-generation student of the Ishizuka Dojo!"

"I am a student of the Todoroki Dojo!"

"I'm from the Otake Dojo! We are in your debt!"

"Oh, is that right?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Yes, sir! We're so sorry! We were completely unaware that we were looking for Haninozuka Mitsukuni-_sama_, and have committed a terrible offense! Although, accidental though it may have been, my dojo will take pride in the day that I was able to engage you, Mitsukuni-_sama_, personally, for generations to come!"

_He is deep, _Haruhi thought. _This goes way beyond deep. _

"Takashi, you did very well protecting Haru-_chan_ and Rin-_chan_," Honey-_senpai _said as he patted Mori-_senpai_ on the head. "You didn't get lonesome without me around, right?"

"I wouldn't say that."

* * *

The sun had started to set in the sky as it became a mixture of orange and pink, looking especially beautiful from inside the glass dome.

"We should go to the beach next, to clear the mood," Hikaru said.

"The beach would be nice," Kaoru said.

"You idiots, Haruhi wouldn't be interested in that," Tamaki said.

"Do you have to do things only Haruhi wants to do?" Rin asked, annoyed.

"I might not mind going to the beach. This obviously artificial location may not be any fun, but the beach would be nice. It's pretty there."

"All right, you got it! Next, we go to the beach!"

"He said we're all going to the beach next," Honey-_senpai_ said, getting a piggy-back ride from Mori-_senpai_. "That will be fun, huh?"

"Yeah." Mori-_senpai_ gave a smile, which made Honey-_senpai_ giggle and Haruhi smile as well. Maybe the day hadn't been as bad as Haruhi had originally thought.

* * *

Tamaki: Why, after finally coming all the way to the beach, do Haruhi and I have to get into a fight?

Haruhi: _Senpai_, I thought you weren't going to talk to me anymore.

Tamaki: Haruhi! Rin-_chan_, help me out!

Haruhi: Next time, "_The Sun, the Sea, and the Host Club"_.

Tamaki: Ouran Highschool Host Club will be waiting for you.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT: **

The Sun, The Sea and the Host Club!

* * *

"_When were you going to tell me?" Kaoru asked._

"_Huh? About what?" Hikaru asked as they sat on the couch._

"_About you and Rin."_

_Colour tinted on his cheeks as he looked towards the stairs. She was upstairs in her guest bedroom, studying._

"_There's nothing to talk about."_

"_Oh yes there is!" Kaoru pointed at him. "You're in love with her! Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_L-Love?! W-What…"_

"_There's no fooling me Hikaru. I know you too well for that. You may think it's not obvious, but everyone else thinks so."_

"_Well, besides Tamaki," Rin said as she walked down the stairs, sitting down on the couch next to him._

"_Yeah, everyone except him," Kaoru said, nodding. _

"_I-I'm sorry Kaoru. I should have told you sooner. I'm such a terrible brother."_

"_Don't say such things Hikaru! I know how you felt."_

"_I wasn't sure how to tell you. This must be so hard for you."_

"_We've always been together. But, if you're happy, then I'm happy."_

"_Oh Kaoru."_

"_Hikaru!"_

_The two embraced as Rin rolled her eyes with a smile, turning on the television. "That's cute and all, but save it for the bedroom."_

"Why are you telling me this? I was there you know," Rin said, crossing her arms.

"We know, but you missed the first part," the twins said in unison as they sat in the clubroom.

"So is it true?" one of the guests asked.

"You two are…dating?" another asked.

"Sad but true ladies," Hikaru said, wrapping his arm around Rin's waist.

"But don't worry, the 'Brotherly Love Package' will still run," Kaoru said.

"But what about the men?" Haruhi asked. "Won't they get upset?"

"Nah, not as long as I flirt. It's my job and plus, they know I don't mean it," Rin said with a shrug.

_Clearly they're smarter than the girls, _Haruhi thought.

"Get your hand off my precious daughter!" Tamaki yelled from across the room.

Hikaru rolled his eyes, moving her closer. 'Why? Its official ain't it? I'm allowed to hold my girlfriend if I want to."

"You shouldn't speak about your sister like that!"

"Hmm, we'll see about that," he said. He moved closer to her and kissed her, resulting in the girls squealing.

"Ah! That's so cute!"

"I wish I could have something like that!"

"She's so lucky!"

"How dare you do such a thing to my daughter?! You're going to pay!"

"Not again," Haruhi groaned, face palming.

…

"The beach?" Haruhi asked.

"Of course," the twins said. "The beach."

"But why?" Haruhi sat down, her books lying on the table.

"Didn't you remember what you said?" Hikaru asked.

"You said you'd like to go to a real beach," Kaoru said.

"Did I say that?"

"Yes Haruhi," they said in unison. "Here's the fun part. We've bought some swim suits for you and Rin to choose from."

"Pretty cute huh?" Hikaru asked, referring to a pink two piece bathing suit, ruffles covering the top.

"Not that one!" Honey-senpai wined. "I think that this swim suit would look much cuter!" He held up a one piece blue swimsuit with a light blue skirt attached, a dark blue bow and a light blue collar.

The twins tisked, moving their finger to the right and left. "I don't think you get it Honey-senpai," they said.

They lifted Haruhi off her chair and into the air.

"Just look," Hikaru said. "This uniform barely hides the fact that Haruhi is as flat as a cutting board."

"A one piece suit like that would only upset her because it draws attention to her lack of womanly physique," Kaoru said.

The two then dropped her to the ground and she glared.

"That's why, we carefully selected this two piece suit, you see? The ruffles hide the fact that she's so flat chested."

"What about Rin-chan?" Honey-senpai asked, inspecting all the bathing suits.

"Rin's a little bit different as-"

"She can fit into most of these-"

"Cause she's not flat chested like Haruhi," they finished in unison. "But, we have a preference, of course."

"Like?" Rin asked as she walked over, tilting her head to the right.

"Something like this!"

They gestured to a two piece swimsuit. Hanging on the mannequin was a blue bikini top with a white lining, the bottom was a wavy light blue floral skirt.

"Ooh, that's cute," she said as she inspected it.

"Our mother thought so. She designed it specifically for you, after all."

"Really? Well, how nice of her. I'll be sure to thank her later."

"You two better stop sexually harassing my little girls!" Tamaki yelled as he imagined himself as a baseball player, using a bat to hit the twins which were baseballs. "I've had enough of you!"

The twins quickly hid behind a table. "That means we're not going to the beach?"

"Who said that we're not going?" he asked, placing the bat over his shoulder.

"Really? So you wanna go after all?"

"Awesome!" Rin cheered as she clapped.

"Can Usu-chan come too?" Honey-senpai asked.

"I have no problem with that," Kyoya said as he wrote something down.

Mori-senpai nodded, staring at a bikini top covered in sea shells.

"Huh? We're really gonna go?" Haruhi asked.

"Why not?" Tamaki asked. "Let's go to the beach!"

"So, why did we come to Okinawa?" the twins asked.

"Because Kyoya's family has a private beach here," Tamaki stated.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai replied.

"Why couldn't we have gone somewhere more exotic, like Fiji or Hawaii or even the Caribbean?" Rin asked.

"Do you think a commoner like Haruhi has a passport?" Kyoya asked smugly.

"You do realise that I can hear what you're saying right?"

…

"Wow, the view from here is simply breathtaking, isn't it?" Rin asked as she stared at the ocean and the waves crashing onto the rocks.

"Yeah, it is," a young male next to her said, but he was mostly staring at her.

She turned to him. "We're you just saying that or do you truly mean it?"

"Uh, I-I, uh…"

She giggled. "That's so sweet of you. You're too adorable!"

The boy next to her blushed which made her giggle again.

…

"It's so beautiful. Tamaki, being alone here with you and looking out at the sea – it's like a dream."

"It's no dream," he said. "It's real, but if I could have my way, my princess – I would be in your dreams every night."

"Oh Tamaki," the girl said, sighing.

…

"Take it easy there Hikaru," Kaoru said, chasing the volleyball that had bounced into the sand.

"I'm sorry, I'll get it," Hikaru called as he ran around the net and after him. "Wait for me Kaoru!"

"I can't help it! The ball is rolling away," he laughed.

The girls playing volleyball, sighing as they blushed.

…

Haruhi groaned, sitting underneath a beach umbrella as she watched Kyoya checking something on his clipboard.

"Her alone time with Tamaki is up," Kyoya said. "Next lady, please proceed. Also, next male please proceed over to Rin."

Behind him were two huge lines, one filled with females, the other with males.

"This sucks," Haruhi said. "I thought going to the beach was a day off."

She looked around and saw Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai standing from a distance, doing some weird kind of dance with two girls.

"Um, Haruhi?" a girl asked. "Aren't you going to go swimming with us?"

"No, uh, I like looking at the sea from a safe distance."

"Well, if you're not going to swim, would you mind if we sat here and talked with you?" another girl asked.

"But why? You girls should go swim. You've got cute swimsuits on, why not show them off?"

The girls sighed, dreamily.

…

"I can't believe he fooled us," Hikaru said with a sigh.

"Who would have thought he'd bring the ladies with us?" Kaoru asked. "We certainly didn't expect it."

"Not to mention all of the guys," Rin said as she walked over, sighing with relief. She noticed the look on their faces and nodded. "I forced Kyoya into giving me a break for a while."

They nodded in understanding.

"You were invited on all this all expenses paid vacation for a reason – and that is to keep our clients entertained," Kyoya said.

"We know, but with the guests here," Hikaru said.

"Haruhi can't change into her swimsuit," Kaoru finished.

"That better not be the only reason you want to be here," Rin said, crossing her arms.

Hikaru smirked. "Don't worry babe, you're all I want to look at." He moved his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Hmm, nice save," she said with a wink as he kissed her neck.

"Don't worry, I've got it all under control," Tamaki said, trying to get them to separate and look at him. It didn't work of course, but he continued anyway. "Our little angel shouldn't be prancing around in a swimsuit. At least, not in front of two perverts like you."

The twins looked at each other. "But Rin's allowed to?"

"Most of her body is covered. It also helps keep the guests entertained."

"I'm so glad I can wear things only for boys to look at me," she said, rolling her eyes. "…Uh, is Tamaki okay?"

Tamaki had suddenly stopped moving, staring off into space.

**The Theatre of Tamaki's Mind:**

"And then, once the sun has set, Haruhi and I will take a romantic stroll across the shore together."

_Haruhi was wearing a pink frilly dress as the two walked across the beach, stopping to stare at the gorgeous orange sunset._

"_Oh wow, what a pretty sunset," she said, her voice slightly higher pitch than usual. "Oh senpai," She turned to face him, "I'd love to here with you forever."_

"It'll happen! Just like that! The greatest day of my life! I don't know if I can handle it!" Tamaki's face was flushed pure red as he squealed with delight.

"What's the matter with Tamaki? Is he having a seizure?" a guest asked.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Hikaru said as he sat down.

"He gets like this occasionally," Kaoru said, doing the same.

"He'll be back in a few minutes," Rin said as she sat in-between Hikaru's legs.

…

"Any of you been in the water yet?" she asked as she stood up, stretching.

"No, not yet…Why?" the twins asked.

"Oh, no reason. I'm just a bit hesitant to try it."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other, smirking. "Why?"

"It might be freezing cold!" She screamed as she was lifted off the ground and chucked over Hikaru's shoulder. "Hey! Put me down! Let go of me! Help me Kaoru!"

"Yeah, he's not gonna help you," Hikaru said with a smirk as he walked closer to the shallow end of the ocean. He took a few steps into the water, carrying her over his shoulder. "Ready?"

"No! No! No!" she screamed as she was thrown into the water. She quickly swam back up to the surface and shivered. "It's freezing! My god!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to try it?" Hikaru asked, laughing. She noticed Kaoru back on the shore, laughing his head off.

She smirked as she dove back under the water, starting to swim. Hikaru yelped as she stood up and pulled him under the water.

"God damn it's cold," he said shivering as he resurfaced.

"Ha! That's what you get!" she said laughing.

He smiled as he moved closer to her, pulling her closer to him. "You're a little devil, you know that?"

"Hmm, I learnt from the best."

The two moved closer and they shared a kiss, making the girls on the shore watching them sigh, dreaming they could have something like that.

"She's so lucky!"

"Ah, I want to be loved like that!"

"Lucky bastard," one of the boys grumbled.

"Hey! Don't call him that!" the girls yelled in union as they chase after him.

They two in the water separated, smiling at each other as Kaoru smiled to himself, a sad smile.

…

"Haru-chan!" Honey-senpai called. "Wanna go Hellfish Shunting?!"

Honey-senpai was sitting down on the bench, a pink bucket with a red spade in his hands. Mori-senpai was standing on a rock, watching.

"I think you're trying to say _Shellfish Hunting,_" Haruhi said. "But this doesn't seem like that kind of beach Honey-senpai. You're not gonna find many shell…fish." She trailed off as she noticed his bucket was filled with shellfish.

"Huh?" She then noticed a crab crawling on the sand. "Huh?!" She then noticed that that whole section of the beach was covered in crabs and shellfish. "What the hell?! No way!"

Mori-senpai turned around and climbed onto a giant rock. He looked over and saw Kyoya on the other side.

"Mori-senpai," he said. "My family's private police force has stopped by. They wanted to make it up to Honey-senpai for attacking him at the water park. So they brought shellfish."

The officers were standing in a huge line, handing each other hundreds and hundreds of buckets filled with shellfish.

…

"Hey guys what's going on here?" Rin asked as she walked over.

"We're Hellfish Shunting!" Honey-senpai shouted, his face filled with joy.

"He means _Shellfish Hunting_," Haruhi corrected as she kneeled down next to him.

"Where did you even find all of those?" Rin asked as she stared at the now five buckets filled with shellfish.

Mori-senpai poked her on the shoulder and she turned around. He pointed to the rock and she raised an eyebrow. He bent down and grabbed her ankles, lifting her up and onto the giant rock. She looked over and saw the police force finally packing up their trucks, done for the day.

"Oh Hayashi, don't mind us," Kyoya said. "Just business as usual."

Without a word, Mori-senpai lifted her back down.

"Amazing!" Honey-senpai said. "Look how many we got!"

"We're gonna have some fancy side dishes tonight," Haruhi said in awe. "It's gonna be delicious."

She seemed to be glowing with how happy she was.

"My, my," Tamaki said. "Certainly looks like they're enjoying themselves. All is right with the world."

"Senpai!" Haruhi called. "Dinner is gonna be awesome! It's a major haul!"

Tamaki blushed. "Aww, I'm just so proud. Look at my little girl," he cooed.

"That is just creepy. She's only a year younger than you, ya know?"

"_It's a major haul!"_

The guests turned around, confused.

"_It's a major haul!"_

The twins looked over. "Say what?"

"Dinner's gonna be awesome! It'll be a real treat!"

"Tell me Haruhi," Tamaki said, holding up a crab. "Isn't this crab, _crabtiviating?_"

"Oh yeah," Haruhi said laughing.

"Uh, Tamaki, there's a centipede on that crab," Rin said, pointing to the slimly creature going across the crab and nearing his fingers.

Tamaki went silent, dead silent.

"Cen-" half of the girls screamed.

"Ti-" the other half screamed.

"Pede!" they all shouted in unison as they ran away. Even the twins and Honey-senpai followed, running away and screaming.

"Don't worry Rin, we'll protect you!" one of the boys shouted as he ran over to her, standing in front of her.

"Yeah, that's right!"

"We won't let it hurt you!"

"Thanks, but I don't really need protecting. It's not _that_ scary."

Haruhi walked over, grabbing the centipede and chucked it over the giant rock.

"Hey Haruhi," the twins said once they gained their composure, leaning their elbows on her shoulders.

Tamaki turned to see them, giving them a death stare.

"Now I know most girls aren't the bug-loving type, and I certainly didn't think you we're but-" Hikaru started.

"Don't you think you could have been easier on that little guy?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh come on, it's not dead. Take a lot more than that to kill a bug."

All the girls came over, gushing at how strong and brave Haruhi was. Rin – seeing this is a great opportunity – escaped from the guys to rush over.

"Okay girls, give him some room," she said. The girls nodded, making a pathway for the two of them, knowing there was no romantic interest between the two. "C'mon Haruhi, let's get a drink together."

She linked her arm with Haruhi's, pulling her through the crowd.

"Thanks Rin. You're a lifesaver."

"Hey, it's no problem. You'd do the same for me."

The two went over to a little bar and bought their drinks, heading towards two deck chairs covered by a beach umbrella. Haruhi stared at the waves crashing on the shore while Rin pulled out her notepad and pen, writing the story she was trying to work on for her English class.

The two of them were unaware of the other Hosts plotting against them.

…

"Well, isn't that just great," Hikaru said.

"Haruhi and Rin aren't normal," Kaoru said. "I thought girls were afraid of bugs."

"I'm sure both of them are afraid of something," Tamaki said.

The twins suddenly got an idea.

"Hey boss, listen up! We just thought of a new game to play that could be a lot of fun. What do you say? It's called the… 'Who can find out Haruhi and Rin's Weakness Game?' So, think you're up to it?"

"But that game sounds terrible," Tamaki said.

"Eh, I guess you're right," Hikaru said. "Besides, they'd only share a weakness with someone they're close too. So I guess I win half of the prize already."

"…What are the rules?" Tamaki asked.

"Now that's more like it," they said in unison.

"The deadline is sunset tomorrow," Hikaru said.

"Whoever finds out either of their weakness first, wins."

"And I have the perfect prize for the game's lucky winner," Kyoya said, smirking. He held up six pictures, three of them of Haruhi in middle school, the other three of Rin.

The three gasped, wanting those photos.

"We wanna play too!" Honey-senpai yelled.

"I guess that means we're all competing," Kyoya said. He kept moving the pictures away from Tamaki, but he continued to follow them.

"Hold on! Where did you get those pictures of Haruhi and Rin?!"

"Wait a minute-" Honey-senpai started.

"_You've got three of them in their gym uniforms!"_

"Where _did_ you get those pictures-?"

"_I have to have them!"_

"Kyo-chan?" Honey-senpai finally finished.

"_Hand them over!"_

"I have my sources," Kyoya said, putting the pictures back in his pockets. "How about we just leave it at that for the moment."

…

"What are they doing?" Haruhi asked.

"I think they've invented a new game," Rin said.

"Are those pictures?"

"Of us in middle school?"

"Uh oh," they said together, looking at each other worried.

**LET THE GAMES BEGIN!**

Haruhi was walking in a dark cave with both the twins and two of the female guests. She had no idea how she had gotten there, but she really didn't want to know either.

"This is it," Hikaru started. "This is the most haunted place in Okinawa. The locals don't even come out here."

"They say the only time you can find this cave is during low tide," Kaoru said. "Evidently, a lot of people have died down here from drowning. And their souls are still here, taking revenge on anyone who comes into this cave."

The girls gasped, shaking as they hugged each other.

"Look!" Hikaru called out as he pointed at something with glowing purple eyes in the darkness. The girls screamed as it jumped out at them.

The 'creature's hand' grabbed onto Haruhi's shoulder, but she didn't flinch.

"What is going on?" she asked as she turned around. "Are you trying to freak me out?"

She saw Hikaru crouched down behind her, holding a flashlight and a puppet with purple eyes.

"What's wrong with you? I thought everyone was afraid of ghosts," Kaoru said as he held another puppet.

"But I've never seen a real one before," she said.

**PARANORMAL FEAR STRATEGY…FAILED**

"This is it," Hikaru started. "This is the most haunted place in Okinawa. The locals don't even come out here."

"They say the only time you can find this cave is during low tide," Kaoru said. "Evidently, a lot of people have died down here from drowning. And their souls are still here, taking revenge on anyone who comes into this cave."

The girls gasped, shaking as they hugged each other.

"Look!" Hikaru called out as he pointed at something with glowing purple eyes in the darkness. The girls screamed as it jumped out at them.

The 'creature's hand' grabbed onto Rin's shoulder, but she rolled her eyes.

"What do you think you're doing? Trying to scare me?" Rin asked.

Hikaru sighed as he dropped his head.

"Are you kidding me? You too," Kaoru said annoyed.

"You too? What the hell did I do?"

"I thought everyone was afraid of ghosts."

"That may be true, but not fake puppets."

**PARANORMAL FEAR STRATEGY…FAILED…AGAIN**

"Haru-chan! Could you come over here?" Honey-senpai asked.

"What the…?" she mumbled as she saw a giant truck. There were about 30 guards standing around it. She stepped onto the truck and stood next to Honey-senpai. He smiled goofily.

"Well, we're ready whenever you are private police people. Please, lower the door!" he said and the guards all saluted. The door then dropped down creating a loud bang. It was dark and silent.

"It's dark and scary in here! I feel like I can't breathe! Get me out of here!" Honey-senpai cried.

**CLAUSTROPHOBIA ATTACK STRATEGY…FAILED**

"Um, Honey-senpai? What are you doing?" Rin asked.

"Come in here with me Rin-chan!" he called from inside the truck. She avoided eye-contact with every single police officer standing around her as she walked into the truck, totally confused.

"Why are they here?"

"We're ready when you are police people. Lower the door!"

The door quickly slammed shut and the room went quiet. Way too quiet.

"Um, why am I in here?" Rin asked.

"It's dark and scary in here! I feel like I can't breathe! Get me out of here!"

"Honey-senpai, calm down, its okay."

The door opened and he cried. "That's the second time that thing's scared me!"

**CLAUSTROPHOBIA ATTACK STRATEGY…FAILED…AGAIN**

"Um Mori," Haruhi started. "You're my senpai, not a _senti_."

She was staring straight at the sharp point of the harpoon, literally a few centimetres away from piercing her face. Mori-senpai sighed, noticing her horrible play on words.

He chucked the harpoon in the sand and walked off, going to get Rin.

**FEAR OF SHARP OBJECTS STRATEGY…FAILED**

"Mori-senpai?" Rin questioned. "Unless you're silently asking me to go harpoon things with you, I think you're choice of weaponry is a bit extreme. Maybe you should keep your weapons to yourself."

Mori-senpai sighed as he walked away with the harpoon, going back to where he found it.

"Uh, okay then?"

**FEAR OF SHARP OBJECTS STRATEGY…FAILED…AGAIN**

"This game is harder than I thought it'd be," Hikaru said. The twins were sitting on the edge of the bottom step of the lodge, watching the sunset.

"No kidding. I'm already getting bored of it," Kaoru said.

"What kind of heroines are they? They must be afraid of something."

Kaoru looked at him, glaring.

"What? Why are you glaring at me?"

"Shouldn't you know Rin's?" Kaoru asked.

"…Why should I?"

"I'm pretty sure being her boyfriend gives you a perfect opportunity for that."

"You'd really think she'd tell me? Me? Even if we were married, she wouldn't tell me."

"Yeah, she's smarter than that…Wait, did you say married?" Kaoru smirked.

Hikaru blushed, looking away with an angry look. "I-It's just an example."

"Hmm, sure it is." Kaoru gave him a wink as Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"_Ah ha!"_

The two turned and saw Tamaki crouched down, facing the other way.

"What's up boss?" Hikaru asked.

"What are you doing?" Kaoru asked.

Tamaki stood up, holding a bucket filled with long moving creatures. "I found some rat snakes. Surely they'll freak out when they see these!"

"Anyone would think those are creepy, so it's not really a weakness," Hikaru commented, rolling his eyes at Tamaki's stupidity.

"Hold on, I thought there weren't any rat snakes in Okinawa," Kaoru said.

…

Haruhi sighed as she walked along the beach, looking for more sea food for dinner. Rin sighed as well, bored as her feet were soaking in the ocean.

"Hey Haruhi!' they heard a girl call. "Rin!"

The two turned and saw three girls standing on the top of a giant rock, right above the ocean. 'The breeze up here feels great!"

"It does? About time something interesting happens," Rin said as she stood up, starting to climb up the rock.

"Be careful Rin! It's dangerous," Haruhi said.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm a big strong girl."

"But, but what about them?"

"I'll protect them. They'll be safe with me."

…

She stood up as she reached the top, the girls smiling at her. The four stood there for a moment, watching the waves crash against the rocks, enjoying the cool breeze, until…

"Hey! There are chicks up here man!"

The three guests turned around and saw two males walking towards them.

"How would you girls like to hang out with the locals?" the second male asked.

Rin – even with her back turned – could tell he had a sick smirk on his face. She didn't want to look at his stupid smug face.

"No thank you, can you just leave us alone?" one of the girls asked.

The first male walked up to her, grabbing her wrist. "Oh c'mon, we just want to show you girls a good time."

"Girls, I want you to leave right now. Go and get help. I'll deal with them until then, just get out of here," Rin said.

"Are you sure?" another girl asked.

"I don't want you girls to get hurt."

The girls smiled to each other, before nodding. "We'll get help Rin!"

The three ran past the males, heading down the safe path down the rock and onto the beach on the other side.

"C'mon, turn around. I wanna see that pretty face."

She growled under her breath, but faked a smile as she turned around.

"And you said I had bad taste in women," the second one said with a smirk as he looked up and down her body, taking it all in.

"She is pretty hot, isn't she? I guess I won't doubt you now. How would you like to come with us and have a couple of drinks?"

Without asking, he slipped his hands around her waist. She continued to fake a smile as she wrapped her hands around his neck. He turned his head to his friend, smirking, thinking he had scored, but he knew right away that he had been tricked. She lifted her knee and hit him in the crotch, making him groan in pain as he fell to the ground.

"You little brat!" the second one screamed as he moved toward her. She raised her fist to punch him when he suddenly stood still and gasped.

"Leave her alone!"

Haruhi was standing behind him with an empty bucket that was previously filled with shellfish. All of that was now on the guy's back and he shivered.

Rin smiled as she tried to run over to her. The first guy stood up, groaning before he composed himself. "Did you really think you could get away with that?"

"What did you do to him?" Haruhi whispered.

"Kneed him in the crotch," she whispered with a smirk.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked Haruhi.

"That doesn't matter, just leave us alone," Rin said. The second guy rushed over, trying to grab Rin and pull her close.

"What did I say? Leave her alone!"

Rin smirked as she pushed the guy down to the ground, his back skidding on the sharp surface of the rock. Haruhi smirked as well.

The first guy growled. "You little runt!" he screamed as he grabbed Haruhi.

…

'Those aren't rat snakes! Those are poisonous habu snakes!' the twins screamed in panic as they ran away from Tamaki – holding the bucket filled with snakes. Tamaki was having a mini-panic attack.

"But what do I do with them?" he cried. "Come on guys! Help me out!"

"Tamaki!" one of the girls from the rock screamed as she stopped running towards them. 'It's Haruhi and Rin!'

Tamaki and the twins gasped in shock.

…

"What are you gonna do now loser?" the first guy asked, gripping tight on the front of Haruhi's shirt.

"Don't hurt him!" Rin screamed as she rushed towards them, but the second guy grabbed her and lifted her into the air.

"Don't try and act so tough you sissy boy."

"I got an idea," the first guy said as he moved towards the rock, making Haruhi lean over the edge. "How'd you like to take a dip?"

Tamaki suddenly rushed onto the rock. "Haruhi!" he called, right when Haruhi was pushed off the rock, falling towards the ocean.

"Haruhi!" Rin called as she watched her fall, not being able to help her.

Tamaki ran to the edge and dove straight into the ocean after Haruhi.

"Hm, now that he's out of the way," the second guy said, moving his hands down to her waist and heading lower.

"Get the hell off me!" she screamed as she raised her fists, but he quickly grabbed her wrists, preventing her from doing anything. She lifted her leg and tripped him, but he dragged her down with him. She landed hard on the ground as her head hit a sharp rock, her vision starting to fade.

"Hey loser! Try picking on someone your own size!"

That was the last thing she heard right before she fell unconscious.

…

Rin opened her eyes, noticing that she wasn't lying on the rock anymore. She was being moved. She was in someone's warm arms, and she had a feeling she knew who was carrying her.

"W-What happened?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later. You'll be alright," Hikaru said, tilting his head to kiss her on the forehead, right where the scratch from the rock was. It seem to hurt less, but that might have just been her mind playing tricks on her.

"Haru-chan!" Honey-senpai called, noticing Tamaki walking out of the water, holding Haruhi in his arms.

"Boss," Hikaru said.

"Rin, you're okay?" Tamaki asked as he walked onto the shore.

She nodded. "I think I am. I don't feel any different."

He nodded, then changed the subject. "So, where'd they go?" Tamaki asked Kyoya. Kyoya grabbed Tamaki's white shirt and placed it over Haruhi.

"We took their I.D cards and respectfully asked them to leave. The girls all went back to their hotel and I called the doctor. He should be arriving here any minute now."

"Thank you," Tamaki said, surprisingly calm.

"Its fine you guys. I don't need a doctor," Haruhi said as Tamaki placed her down onto the sand.

"…What were you thinking? You know, you're not like Honey-senpai. You're not a martial arts master." He grabbed hold of her shoulders. "Why did you confront them? What made you think you could stand a chance? You against two boys?"

"But it doesn't matter that they're boys and I'm a girl. I was there; I had to do something. There was no time to think and besides, Rin went against them."

"That's no excuse you idiot! Don't forget, you're a girl! And Rin was only defending herself! She didn't charge into battle like you did!"

"Look, I'm sorry you had to come and save me senpai. But I don't understand why you're so mad at me right now. I don't think I did anything wrong!"

Tamaki slowly let go of her shoulders. "You don't think so? Fine, whatever you say. But I'm not speaking to you until you can admit that you were wrong."

He stomped off towards the lodge, not even glancing back at her. Haruhi couldn't care less, she rolled her eyes and glared.

"The doctor wasn't just for Haruhi. He's checking up on you too, Rin. Just making sure you didn't damage your head."

"Whatever, if you need me I'll be back at the lodge, resting."

She walked off, Hikaru following close behind. He was still extremely worried about her and wanted her to be in his sight at all times. Expect toilet breaks and sleeping. They were the only expectations.

The rest of the Host Club looked at each without a word, all of them worried about what was going to happen when they got back home?

…

Rin sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for the doctor to arrive. She had changed into a white, mid-riff top with the Eiffel tower on it and a blue knee-length skirt with black ankle boots.

There was a knock on the door and she sighed, knowing it was the doctor.

"Yes?" she asked and the door opened.

She immediately recognised the doctor as one of the main workers from Kyoya's family's medical clinics. He had taken care of her a few times when they were dating when she had gotten sick.

He adjusted his glasses as he closed the door behind him, looking at the clipboard he held as he put on his white coat.

"It's nice to see you again Miss Hayashi," he said as he smiled.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's very unusual though."

"Yes, indeed. So, you became unconscious after scraping your head on a stone, correct?" She nodded. "Alright, we'll just make sure there's no internal damage and just clean up your wound. That sound alright?"

She nodded again. The process only took half an hour as he checked her temperature, checked her heart rate and blood pressure, asked her basic questions to make sure she didn't have any amnesia and checked her eye sight. Luckily, there was no damage and he cleaned up the dried blood off her scratch.

"It was nice meeting you again Miss Hayashi, hope you get better."

"Yeah, me too," she said as he walked out of the room, closing the door.

…

"Ta-da!" Honey-senpai cheered. "Here ya go! Don't they look yummy?"

"That looks amazing! I had no idea you could cook," Rin said.

Honey-senpai's eyes brightened as he nodded. "Of course! I learnt to cook from my grandmother!"

"I apologise that there aren't any maids around to help you cook senpai," Kyoya said as he walked over.

"It's no big deal! We appreciate you letting us stay here…Hey Takashi, will you go get Haru-chan?"

Mori-senpai nodded as he left the room. Haruhi was the only member of the Host Club that wasn't in the dining room, and that was because she was taking a really long time getting changed.

The members all looked outside the window, seeing the dark, gloomy and cloudy sky. "It's awfully gloomy out there huh? It looks like it's gonna rain."

"It's not just gloomy outside," Hikaru said.

"Its gloomy right here in the dining room as well," Kaoru said.

"Just take a look senpai."

"Come on, quit mopping boss," Hikaru said.

"Yeah, cheer up Tamaki," Rin said, patting him on the back.

"You shouldn't have picked a fight with her in the first place," Kaoru said.

Finally, the door opened. There stood Haruhi, wearing a long pink, frilly dress with white slippers.

"Whoooa," Honey-senpai said in awe.

"Haruhi, where did you get that dress?" the twins asked.

"From my dad. He must have repacked my bags while I wasn't looking. He's always trying to get me to wear this frilly stuff."

"That's awesome! Way to go Dad!" The twins gave her a thumbs up.

Tamaki hid behind a pillar, watching with a blush on his face.

"You look so cute Haru-chan!" Honey-senpai said.

Haruhi noticed Rin and quickly rushed over. "Are you alright Rin?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Doctor said there's no internal damage."

"Can you be sure?" she asked, concerned.

"Very sure. Doctor Mazuki is a very renowned doctor of mine. He is one of most famous doctors in our clinic actually," Kyoya said.

"Well, that's good to hear," Haruhi said with a smile. Rin smiled back as she nodded. "God, I'm starving."

"Good thing dinner's ready," Rin said with a wink.

…

It was silent in the room as everyone had sat down for dinner. The only sound was the sound of the clock ticking.

On the left side of the room sat Kyoya at the end, then Kaoru, then Rin and finally Hikaru at the other end.

On the right side of the room sat Mori-senpai at the end, then Honey-senpai, then Haruhi and finally Tamaki at the other end.

Yeah, seating them two together was _such_ a good idea.

"Well, this is uncomfortable," Hikaru whispered.

"Yeah, kind of awkward," Kaoru whispered.

"Who thought it was a good idea to put them two together?" Rin whispered.

The twins pointed over to Kyoya discretely and she nodded, realising how stupid she was for asking.

_Of course. More drama makes the night more "interesting". _

"Uh, let's dig in Haru-chan," Honey-senpai said nervously. "These are the crabs I caught. I bet they're delicious."

Haruhi grabbed one of the crab legs and ripped it open, making a loud sound causing both Rin and Tamaki to jump. Haruhi kept eating, one after the other.

"These crabs, taste _incrabable_. Get it?" she asked smirking. Tamaki gasped, realising she had used his own joke against him. She had now eaten so many crab legs that she had made a huge pile next to her.

Rin and the twins all looked at each other, quickly grabbing a crab leg to make sure they got at least one before Haruhi at them all.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Tamaki asked. "Give it a rest."

"Excuse me? I thought you weren't speaking to me."

"You…trying to be cute?"

As Haruhi continued to eat, she gave him a death glare and he slammed his hand down onto the table. "Okay. Fine. I get it. It seems you refuse to admit you were wrong. See if I care then. I'm going to bed. Kyoya, would you show me to my room?"

He then walked over to the door, angry. Kyoya wiped his mouth with a napkin before he stood up. "No problem. Well, excuse me everyone."

As the door closed, Haruhi wasn't able to break the crab leg in her hand. "Maybe he's right," she said. "Maybe I do need to learn a way to protect myself."

"So that's it," the twins said. "He got to you, huh?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt you to learn martial arts or something," Hikaru said.

"But it's not like we're gonna force you to learn it," Kaoru said.

"I never learnt it so I don't think you need to," Rin said.

"Besides, that's not the real issue here," the twins in unison.

"To be honest, we were all a little worried about how recklessly you acted," Hikaru said. The others nodded.

"What do you mean? I didn't cause you guys any trouble or anything."

"That's not true Haru-chan. I think you should apologise. Kay? You made us all worry, especially Tama-chan. I think you need to apologise to Tama-chan the most."

"So you were worried about me? But why?"

"You're hopeless," the twins sighed.

"Trust us when we say that Rin acted reckless," Hikaru said.

"And we were all worried about her," Kaoru said.

"But I've already apologised about thinking I could take them both on. I just wanted to protect those girls…I know gender has nothing to do with it, but you were outnumbered Haruhi. I was outnumbered. I was so worried when you were thrown off the cliff. Tamaki was especially worried about you."

Haruhi went silent, thinking it over before she finally spoke. "Guys, I'm really sorry."

The four jumped out of their seats and hugged her. Mori-senpai stood behind them, holding a giant crab in his hands.

"We forgive you!"

As Haruhi groaned, her face went pale and she felt something in her stomach.

"Is something wrong?" the twins asked.

"I'm not feeling so good."

"You must have eaten too much crab," Hikaru said.

"Be strong Haru-chan!"

"Let's get her to the nearest restroom. Hurry," Kaoru said.

"I'll help her there," Rin said as she quickly took Haruhi's hand.

…

"You alright in there Haruhi?" she asked from outside the bathroom door.

"…Do I sound okay?" Haruhi asked, right before she threw up again.

"Oh god," Rin said as she plugged her nose. She heard footsteps walking in the hallway as she looked around the corner. "Haruhi! I have to go! Uh, get back to your room safely!"

She ran out into the hallway and the footsteps stopped.

"Tamaki? I know it's you," she said into the darkness.

"Yes Rin?" he asked. She turned on the light switch to see him.

"You're upset about the way Haruhi acted. I don't know if she'll apologise to you or not, but I think you also need to think about how you say things Tamaki."

"Huh?"

"Suggesting that a girl cannot do something simply because she's a girl is what started this whole thing. I know you were worried, but you should have told her that. If she had known that, maybe none of this would have happened. But, I think you're both at fault here."

He stood there quiet, taking it all in.

"She's reconsidering her decision. You got to her."

"…Thanks."

"No problem. Just don't let your emotions get to you."

He nodded. "Yeah, will do."

She stood with a smile on her face. 'Did I give some good advice once again?"

He chuckled. "But of course, you always were good at that."

…

Haruhi – after wiping her mouth – opened the door and looked around the strange room.

_Where am I? _Haruhi thought. _Would have been nice if she told me-_

"Are you okay?" a voice asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh, I apologise sir, I didn't mean to intrude."

The voice came from a young man as he dried his hair, only wearing pants.

"Don't be silly. It's just me."

It took half a second for her to realise who was sitting there.

"Kyoya-senpai?" He nodded. "Senpai, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to make everyone worried about me today."

"Thanks, but I wasn't especially worried about you. Although, I did have a hard time separating Hikaru and Kaoru from those two thugs. They almost beat them half to death. And because of you, I had to send each of the girls a bouquet of flowers to apologise. They've been looking forward to this trip and we don't want to disappoint them."

He walked over to her. "I'll pay you back for the flowers senpai."

"Each bouquet cost me fifty thousand. That's a grand total of six hundred and fifty thousand yen, Haruhi."

Kyoya suddenly turned the lights off.

"Uh, why did you turn the lights off?" Haruhi asked.

He bent down really close to her face. "If you want to, you can pay me back with your body." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down with him, making her land on the bed. He crawled on top of her. "Surely you aren't so naïve that you actually believe a person's sex doesn't matter. You left yourself completely defenceless against me."

Haruhi silently gasped, catching on to what he was doing.

"You won't do it, Kyoya-senpai. I know, because it wouldn't do you any good. You won't get anything from it."

He seemed to smirk to himself before he sat up. "You're right." He moved away, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You're a fascinating young woman Haruhi."

"But, I've learnt something from this." She pushed herself up to sit. "I guess I never realised what a nice guy you are senpai."

He looked at her, confused as he put on his glasses.

"I know what you're doing. You're just trying to prove what Tamaki-senpai said earlier." Kyoya stood up. "I know that you're trying to prove his point. That you're just posing as the bad guy."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Kyoya! Do you have any lotion?" Tamaki asked as he opened the door. "This sunburn is worse than I…" He then noticed that Haruhi was sitting on the bed with a shirtless Kyoya. "…You bastard!"

Kyoya slammed the sun lotion into his face. "Here, use as much as you want." He then shut the door, leaving the two of them alone. "Nothing to be gained from it huh? An interesting thought, in its own way."

…

As she opened the door, Rin noticed something sitting on her bed. She turned the lights on and saw a bouquet of flowers. They were gorgeous white roses, her favourite type of flower which is why it was her rose colour. She went over to the bed, noticing a piece of paper.

_Miss Hayashi, for the unfortunate events that happened this day, here is our apology. I know this isn't much, but it is the best we can do regarding the circumstances. Also, this bouquet of flowers – which are your favourite – cost about fifty thousand yen. Guess how much Fujioka owes us?_

_~ Kyoya Ootori_

_What a great version of an apology, _she thought as she rolled her eyes. But, the flowers were pretty. She placed them carefully into a nearby vase which she had filled with cold water.

"Knock, knock~!" Hikaru sung as he opened the door.

"Won't Kaoru be looking for you?" Rin asked.

"He knows where I am," he said with a smirk as he closed the door behind him.

"Are you here to win that contest?"

"You knew about that?" She nodded.

"You guys were pretty obvious," she chuckled. "And there must have been some kind of prize to make Tamaki compete that hard."

"There were photos of Haruhi…and you."

She glared. "Really? You could have just asked me for photos, ya know?"

"Yeah, but I like playing the game."

"Hmm, I've noticed." She gave him a quick kiss. "Do you really want to win?"

"I am pretty competitive. But, if you don't want to tell me, it won't bother me. Besides, I could always lie and say you're fears something other than what it is."

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"Pretty much."

The sound of thunder rumbling in the background caused her to flinch, turning her head towards the window in a fear of panic.

"You alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." The thunder rumbled again, but louder, making her tremble.  
"Ah! No I'm not!"

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of thunder and lightning?"

She shook her head rapidly. 'No. Loud noises."

"You did flinch when Haruhi snapped the crab leg, didn't you?" he asked with a smirk.

"It's not funny!" she yelled, tears forming in her eyes as the thunder continued.

A loud knock on the door startled her and she screamed.

"Ah!"

"Rin? Are you okay?" Hikaru asked as she lunged into his arms, crying into his chest as she trembled with terror.

"Hayashi, remain calm. It's just me," Kyoya said as he opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, I could ask you the same."

"I'm her boyfriend! I'm allowed to see her! You just scared the hell out of her!"

"Hmm, guess we'll have to split the prize now," he said as he walked out of the room, shutting the door loudly making her cry again.

"What an ass," Hikaru muttered.

Another loud crash of thunder and she screamed again, continuing to cry. Hikaru felt like his heart was going to break just watching her. He pulled her closer, trying to find any distraction to give her. He saw some headphones lying on the pillow and he grabbed them, placing them into her ears. He put on some of her favourite music and held her as tight as he could.

"Thank you," she whispered as the noises faded and the music was all that remained.

"No problem, my princess," he whispered. Even though she couldn't hear him, she knew exactly what he'd said right before they kissed, keeping each other close as the thunder continued to rumble in the background.

…

"What were you doing alone with him?" Tamaki asked.

"Uh, nothing really," Haruhi said.

"You expect me to believe that nothing was going on?! You were alone in his bedroom! And why were the lights out! Don't you lie to me!" He sighed. "Never mind. You've been through a lot today. I'm sure you're tired. You should get some sleep."

The light sound of thunder caught her off guard. "Senpai," she called, reaching out her hand. As lightning flashed across the sky, she grabbed onto the back of his shirt. He turned around, staring at the speechless Haruhi.

The thunder and lightning clashed again and she screamed, shaking. "What's wrong Haruhi?"

"It's nothing. I, uh, just remembered I have some business to take care of. E-Excuse me," she said as she rushed over to the wardrobe and climbed inside.

"What business could you have in a wardrobe?!"

The thunder crashed and lightning flashed as Tamaki realised something. "Haruhi, are you afraid of thunder and lightning? Why'd you lock yourself in there? It seems like it'd be scarier locked up like that."

"I'm alright. I used to get through stuff like this by myself."

"By yourself…?"

_An eight year old version of Haruhi lied underneath her kitchen table, using her small blanket to cover her entire body as her ears were covered by her hands. She trembled as the thunder and lightning continued to roar. She was all alone, no one there to help her as she cried and screamed._

"You're always by yourself. All alone in your home, you never call for help even though we're so close…I get it."

He opened the door to see her arms wrapped around her knees, her head ducked to prevent the sound. "I understand now Haruhi. I'm sorry I acted the way I did. You grew up never relying on anyone else, but not anymore."

Haruhi lifted her head, her eyes saddened and filled with fear.

"You can come out now," he said, sticking his hand out.

The thunder and lightning clashed again and she gasped, jumping out of the wardrobe and into Tamaki's awaiting arms.

"You don't have to be afraid. I'll always be here for you Haruhi. I promise that you'll never be alone again."

Her grip on the back of his shirt tightened as she rested her head in his chest.

…

"Are you sure it's a good idea-" Hikaru started.

"To leave the two of them alone?" Kaoru asked.

The other Hosts were all in the main hall, waiting for the storm to finish. Rin still had her headphones in, but with others talking, the noises seemed to drift off a bit, so the music wasn't as loud as before.

"She's with our prince Tamaki," Kyoya said. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Oh, I could think of a lot of things," Rin said.

…

Hikaru and Kaoru knocked on the door. "Hey boss, we're coming in."

When they opened the door, they found Tamaki bent down, Haruhi sitting on the floor in front of him.

"With the blindfold on, you can't see anything," he said. "And then the earplugs muffle any kind of sound."

"Yeah, you're right!" Haruhi said innocently, not knowing how bad this situation looked from the other end.

"You nasty pervert," Hikaru said.

Tamaki gasped, turning around to see all the Hosts standing at the door.

"You disgusting human being," Rin said.

"What kind of foreplay is that?" Kaoru asked.

"I-It's not like that! It's not what you think!"

* * *

The next day, everyone was packing their things into the back of the limo, ready for the long trip back home.

"You better watch your back Haruhi," Hikaru said.

"I never would have picked the boss as an 'S and M' pervert," Kaoru said, leaning against the limo.

"I told you, it wasn't like that at all!"

"Right, keep telling yourself that," Rin said as she got into the limo.

"I see, now I know what 'S and M' means," Haruhi said, sitting in the limo. "I can't believe I almost let you get away with it." She rolled up the window, ashamed to even look at him.

"I wasn't trying to do anything freaky, I was trying to help you!"

"Let's go," Kyoya said chuckling as he got into the passenger seat.

The driver nodded, starting up the engine and driving off down the road.

"Hey! Don't leave without me! Wait you guys!" he yelled as he ran after them.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Ouran Highschool Host Club nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE:**

A Challenge from Lobelia Girls' Academy!

* * *

The huge gates of Ouran slowly opened, purple flower petals flying through the wind as three girls twirled gracefully through the gate and into the school.

…

"Really?" Haruhi asked. "All the afternoon classes-"

"Have been cancelled?" Rin finished.

"You mean no one told you?" a girl in their class asked. "It's going to be crazy around here for the next two days."

"Ouran is hosting an exposition for a cultural club," another girl said. "Drama and Choir clubs from a bunch of other schools have been invited. It's a big event the school holds annually."

"Is that so?" Haruhi asked.

"Hmm, at least we get out of doing work," Rin said as some of the girls giggled.

Haruhi sighed. 'Some of us actually like studying."

"You mean just you."

"What? You've never tried it?" the twins asked Renge in shock.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's the preferred drink of the Host Club?" Hikaru asked.

"And you are our manager, so you should drink it too," Kaoru said.

Renge started to become nervous, wiping her face with her handkerchief. "Well, um, I-I think I've heard of instant coffee before. Oh! That's right! Isn't that when the coffee beans have already been ground for you?"

The twins buzzed her out as she gasped and whimpered.

"That's just ground coffee," Hikaru said. "Instant is something completely different. I don't even think they are any beans in instant coffee. You just mix this powder with hot water and then drink it. You don't have to brew it – it's pretty awesome."

"So it's basically just like coffee, but not as robust," Kaoru said.

"And yet it's strangely satisfying."

"Now that you mention it, we just ran out of it, didn't we?"

The twins placed their hands on Haruhi's shoulders. "Go buy us some more Haruhi," they said in unison, huge grins on their faces.

"Why do I have to go get it?" she asked annoyed.

"Because you're the only commoner," Hikaru said. "No one else knows where to buy it."

"We've been serving it to our guests lately. And plus, its part of your job," Kaoru said.

"But the cultural exposition starts soon."

"Yeah, but it's not mandatory. So if you're not interested, you don't have to go."

They both lifted her up and carried her out of the room, leaving her in the doorway.

"And with that being said-"

"Be careful out there!" they said in unison, waving goodbye.

Rin walked out of the room as Haruhi stumbled, leaning against the wall as she tried to regain her balance.

"Haruhi, keep it together," she said as she crossed hers arms.

"Easy for you to say, you're not being commanded around by them," Haruhi said as she sighed, rubbing her temples.

"You must've forgotten that I live with them."

"Thanks for helping them out Haruhi," one of the girls said as she walked out and stood in the hallway.

"No problem. I just wish they'd buy their own instant coffee."

"Well, I don't know if that will ever happen, but I'm glad they seem to be having a good time. And it's all thanks to you two."

"All thanks to us?" the two asked in unison.

"See, we've been in the same class as the twins since middle school. They didn't use to be this cheerful and friendly. They were always quiet and withdrawn. They didn't have any friends. It's like they didn't want anyone to get too close. I don't think they liked school very much. They seemed so bored by it."

"I guess things started to change when the Host Club was created. Since then, they've come out of their shells little by little," another girl said.

…

Haruhi walked down the concrete path back into the school, carrying a bag filled with commoner's coffee and other items from the supermarket.

"_But they've really opened up since you two joined the Host Club. Now they talk and joke with everyone in class."_

"_That's why we wanted to make sure that you both knew how grateful we are to you. Because of you two, the twins are enjoying life and living each day to the fullest."_

And then, of course, a banana peel landed on the ground and because it's the Host Club and Haruhi slipped on it. She started to fall backwards until a girl with short brown hair caught her in her arms gracefully, almost like a ballerina.

"It'd be a shame for any harm to come to that cute face of yours, _young lady_," the girl said. She wore a school uniform with a long red skirt and a red collar. She had striking grey eyes that took Haruhi by surprise. She tossed a strand of hair out of her own face as she chuckled, sparkles flying everywhere.

…

The remaining first years opened the Host Club doors and stared in confusion at what they saw. The other members were wearing full armour – excluding the helmet – weapons and all.

"About time, you guys are late," Tamaki said with an annoyed pout.

"Whatever, what is this?" Rin asked.

"We – my lady – are the loyal knights of this medieval court of Ouran, who protect our beautiful princesses in distress."

Not in the mood for roleplaying, the three stuck their hands out. "Just give us our costumes."

"Fine then, don't get in the mood! Go get changed!"

After about two minutes, the twins came out wearing a blue jester outfit with strange headpieces. They looked at each other. "Why are you guys dressed as knights and we get…this?"

"Doesn't it make perfect sense? You're the jesters and we're the perfect, well-behaved and protective knights. Doesn't it remind you of something?" Tamaki asked with a fake smile on his face.

About another minute later, Rin came out of the dressing room, wearing a traditional purple medieval dress with a glittering grown. Her hair flowed out over her shoulders and her feet were accompanied by black high heels.

"Wow Rin-chan! You look like a real princess!" Honey-senpai exclaimed as he clapped. Mori-senpai nodded.

"My darling princess, I will protect you from any danger!" Tamaki proclaimed as he stood in front of her, holding his sword and pointing it at the twins.

"But, his _darling princess_ doesn't need protecting," Kyoya said as he walked over to her, holding a bag in his hands.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Something you'll like."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is it a bomb?"

"Just open it."

She slowly took the bag out his hands, taking a peek into it before she smirked. "Oh yeah," she whispered as she pulled out a sword, a real sword.

"Our princess has a sword," the twins said in monotone.

"Prince Tamaki, I challenge you to a duel," she announced, pointing the sword at him.

"I could never battle my darling princess," he said in shock, almost offended at her asking.

"Never fear, I'll challenge you," Hikaru said with a smirk as he grabbed Tamaki's sword. She yelped as he moved his sword, colliding with hers as he spun them around, causing her to spin as well. Losing balance, she started to fall until he caught her in a classic wedding dip. "Hm, it seems you lose princess," he said with a smirk.

A smirk came to her face, realising his trick. "What's my punishment then?"

"We'll decide when we get home." He winked as he leaned down and kissed her. Mori-senpai covered Honey-senpai's eyes.

"Unhand my daughter this instant!" Tamaki yelled. Hikaru stood her back up, glancing at Tamaki.

"Guess you'll have to go through me first."

…

Two girls in school uniform walked down the halls of Ouran, receiving stares along the way. Their uniforms were different.

They stopped in the front of a door, staring at the sign. This hallway was empty as the silence took over them.

"This looks like the right place," one of the girls said to the other.

…

"I'd hate to interrupt your fight for…whatever this is, but there are guests outside," Kyoya said.

How he had known without hearing any knocking was a mystery, but Tamaki quickly brushed himself off and hurried everyone into their positions.

The girls outside slammed the door open.

"Welcome ladies," they said in unison.

The two girls didn't seem fazed by their act, glaring.

"Well, well, well. It seems you ladies are from another school," Tamaki said. "I certainly hope we haven't startled you. We love first time guests." His reflection shined off his sword, his eyes twinkling. "We're glad you've come princesses. My darlings – even if the world were to be destroyed, I would put my life on the line as your faithful knight and servant."

Bent down on one knee in front of them, he bowed his head. "I will protect you."

"Oh really? Do you really think you can protect _us_?" the girl with long curly hair asked. "That's awfully arrogant of you. Wouldn't you agree? If you think that's what a woman wants to hear than you're wrong."

Tamaki stopped up, holding his sword over his shoulder.

"Oh c'mon. Give him a break Sister Suzuran. Men are just lowly life forms who don't care about anything other than perpetuating their testosterone filled image. By protecting us, he's actually attempting to disguise the fact that he is weak and unable to protect even himself."

"You're such a clever girl, Hinagiku."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Tamaki asked. "Fine, then. What do women like _you_ want to hear?"

"Maybe something like, 'I would never leave my lover alone'," a voice said.

Everyone turned around to see a tall girl with short brown hair holding a confused Haruhi close to her.

"If we fight, it will be together." She spun Haruhi around.

"If we fail, we fail together." She went down on one knee, holding her hand.

"Even if I were to die, I promise you that I will never leave your side, my love." She gently placed a kiss on Haruhi's hand.

The Host Club gasped while Tamaki was furious.

"Benibara, we'd thought you'd never show," one of the girls said.

"What are we going to do with you? So, tell us where you found this lovely young lady."

"I just met her outside of the school. She may be dressed as a boy, but I know the truth. She has such pretty, maidenly eyes." She bent Haruhi down into a dip, rubbing her cheek.

"Uh, thanks, I guess."

The other two girls started rubbing her legs and arms.

"Wow, her skin is incredibly soft."

"Isn't it so? I think this one is going to be a little diamond in the rough."

Rin shuddered as she watched, getting very creeped out.

"Don't go touching my Haruhi without my permission!" Tamaki screamed as he ran towards them.

"Leave her alone!" she shouted as she punched him in the mouth.

"She punched me! She's so violent!"

"Get a hold of yourself," Honey-senpai insisted.

"Hm, guess the rumours we heard were true. You guys are just a bunch of weak little punks with no sense between you."

"Don't you think that's a little bit rude?" Rin asked as she stood up, moving in front of the boys to face them.

"Oh, and what do we have here?" the leader asked, moving closer. Rin should have moved back and ran away, but she stood her ground.

"It seems there's another girl, but she's not dressed as a boy."

"She must be forced to work here too!"

"Such a pretty young thing. You shouldn't be forced to work for men like them. You should be out enjoying the world instead of being locked in a cage, young maiden." The leader moved to stroke her cheek.

"Just because I work here, doesn't mean I was forced. And even if I was, it's none of your business what happens in my life. Also, don't insult my friends like that."

"Beauty and smarts. Sadly she's been brainwashed by these weak little punks. But don't worry, young maiden, we'll help you escape."

"Those uniforms – I assume you girls are from Lobelia Girls' Academy?" Kyoya asked as he adjusted his glasses.

"That's correct," she said with a smirk as the three chucked their school uniforms into the air. And then, the lights switched off.

A purple spotlight appeared. "Lobelia," the leader sung, wearing a purple tuxedo and a top hat.

A blue spotlight appeared. "Lobelia!" the girl with long hair sung, wearing a long blue dress.

A pink spotlight appeared. "Lobelia~!" the youngest girl sung, wearing a pink tutu with ballet shoes.

"Saint Lobelia Academy Highschool Second Year, Benio Amakusa."

"Lobelia~!"

"Second Year Student, Chizuru Maihara."

"Lobelia~!"

"First Year Student, Hinako Tsuwabuki."

"Lobelia~!"

"We are the members of the Saint Lobelia Academy's 'White Lilly League'. Also known as-"

Benio chucked her hat into the air, revealing a huge sign written in Japanese. The girls suddenly had even more ridiculous looking outfits on.

"The Zuka Club!" they all chanted.

"…Uhhhhh…?" the Host Club groaned.

The Zuka Club posed.

"…Uhhhhhhh…?"

Still posing.

"The. Zuka. Club?" Tamaki asked, right before he fell to the ground, fainting. The twins burst out into laughter, almost falling to the floor.

"What a stupid name," Hikaru said in-between his laughter. "_The Zuka Club?_ My stomach hurts!"

"_The Zuka Club?_" Kaoru asked. "That's priceless! They even had those get-ups on underneath!"

"_You shouldn't underestimate the Zuka Club!"_

Then of course, Renge decided to grace the group with her presence as the powerful motor booted up as her laughter filled the room. The giant pillar of room lifted up, revealing her sitting on a chair in a purple kimono and a cup of instant coffee in her hands.

"I may not know much about instant, but I've always been fascinated with girls' schools," she said, taking a sip. She pulled a face right before spit into her napkin, wiping her mouth as she chucked the cup away.

"Saint Lobelia Academy. It is truly a woman's world there. The Zuka Club is a group of strong young maidens who consider women to be superior in every way."

_Every way? Geez, these women need a wake-up call._

"The club prides itself with its thirty year history. It's a society of maidens, by maidens, for maidens. Zuka Club activities include, 'Maiden Tea Parties', 'The Maiden Debate Forum', and most importantly 'Musical Reviews' performed by the society's top members!"

The male hosts had taken off their armour and costumes, returning back to their school uniforms. Rin did the same, returning to her school dress but decided to keep her hair out.

"You sure have a vast world of knowledge Renge," Kyoya said as he buttoned up his blazer.

"Well, I've always admired Saint Lobelias. I just couldn't go to school there though. What would I do without any boys?"

And then, she disappeared back into the floor.

"A maiden's beauty," Chizuru said. "It means: possessing a spirt – pure enough to not give into power or lust."

"As a girl you – for a girl you," Hinako said. "We've had quite enough of your male content for woman kind."

"And our pride, comes from having meaningful relations based on equality," Benio said. "Because we're the same sex. And yes, that includes relationships of love."

"Yeah, you tell them Benibara," Chizuru said.

"You're awesome Benibara!" Hinako exclaimed.

"Whatever," Kaoru said as he rummaged through the grocery bag. "We're so over it."

Mori-senpai swung his sword around, Kyoya read a book, Hikaru played a videogame and Honey-senpai was simply watching.

"Why don't you girls jut scram," Hikaru said.

"I find it hard to believe that you sill boys having nothing to say about our sublime female love," Hinako said.

"What the hell is she talking about?"

"Hey, I haven't seen this one before," Kaoru said as held a container of coffee in his hand.

"You should feel sorry for them Hinagiku. Their patent host skills don't work on us and now they're all flustered and they don't know what do with themselves," Chizuru said as she stroked Benio's cheek.

"True," she said. "I must say I'm glad we decided to perform here. It was fun to sneak a peek at the notorious Ouran Host Club."

Honey-senpai raised an eyebrow. "Hey guys, are we really notorious?"

"Yeah," Mori-senpai replied.

Benio's right hand grabbed onto Rin's arm and pushed her into the wall, right beside Haruhi. Her left hand slammed down next to Haruhi's head, leaning closer to the two of them.

"And to think they're dragging these sweet young girls down with them."

Haruhi and Rin looked at each other, Rin raising an eyebrow.

"The Host Club President might be a pretty little halfer, but he shouldn't be using his looks to create a fictitious romance. Attempting to fool the heart of a young woman is demeaning! You're so called 'Club Activities' are nothing more than debasing macho fantasies. I promise you, we will bring you guys down! The Ouran Host Club will be abolished!"

"All hail Zuka Club!" they three chanted as they saluted (almost like Hitler).

"Rin," Haruhi whispered. "Follow me."

"Where are we going? Are we escaping?" she asked.

She shook her head. "Just follow me."

Rin grudgingly followed behind as they headed towards the kitchen and away from the three girls.

"I see," Kyoya said. "I understand your concern, but do you think, maybe, we could finish this later?"

"Are you saying that you're not going to face us?" Benio asked.

"Not at all. It's just our president is still bed ridden from the initial culture shock."

The hosts stepped aside to reveal Tamaki lying on the couch with a blue blanket over him, a white pillow underneath his head as he clutched onto a brown teddy bear.

"You see, Tama-chan is having his nappy time right now."

"Then wake him up!"

"Excuse me, we made some coffee," Haruhi said as she walked over with a cup of commoner's coffee in her hands.

"Would you like to have some?" Rin asked as she followed, holding the other two cups of coffee.

"Oh yes, aren't you two the sweetest things," Benio said.

"You're real pearls among swine," Chizuru said.

"You know, coffee made by a maiden as a more fragrant aroma."

"I did not know that," Rin said, a little disturbed at that comment.

"But this stuff is just instant," Haruhi insisted.

"How about the five of us have a little tea party," Hinako said, linking arms with Rin as she tried to drag her out of the room.

"You girls have it all wrong! Don't you see there's nothing to be gained by a relationship between two women! If that were the case, then why did god create Adam and Eve?!" Tamaki screamed as he shot up from his bed and ran towards them.

And then, of course, a banana peel landed on the ground and because it's the Host Club and Tamaki slipped on it, skidding across the floor. His index finger landed in Hinako's burning hot cup of instant coffee, sending him screaming as his finger throbbed and turned pure red.

Honey-senpai tried blowing on his finger to cool it down.

Haruhi sighed, walking over and bending down to a crouch. "You've got to be more careful senpai," she said, wrapping a bandage around his finger.

"Thanks Haruhi. Do you always carry bandages around?"

"Nah, the supermarket was giving them out with the price of instant coffee. You always get free stuff from the supermarket."

"Free stuff?"

Haruhi nodded with a smile on her face. Tamaki raised an eyebrow as he stared down at his bandaged index finger.

"This little conversation doesn't seem to be going anywhere," Benio said as she stood behind the two, watching with narrowed eyes. She grabbed hold of Haruhi's wrist and pulled her close. Tamaki gasped.

Benio grabbed Rin's wrist, pulling her closer. "Now that we know what's going on, we can't allow these maidens to stay here. We'll prepare their paperwork and transfer them over to Lobelia at once! And we'll welcome them to the Zuka Club."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Rin said as she moved away.

"What's the matter?" Benio asked.

"There seems to be some misunderstandings here," Haruhi said. "I mean first of all, you called senpai a _halfer_."

"Cause he is a halfer," Honey-senpai said. "He's half French and half Japanese."

"Haruhi, I told you this before," Rin said, shaking her head.

"Well, uh, anyway, I don't think it's far for you to pick on the Host Club just because you don't think they have the same history as you."

"We barely have any history," Hikaru said. "We were just found two years ago."

"Yeah, the boss created it whenever he started highschool here."

"Be that as it may, saying their club activities are only there to satisfy their appetites is just wrong. I mean, it's not like the Host Club is charging their guests or anything."

"Well, I wouldn't call it a charge, we do have a point system," Kyoya said. "We offer priority services to the winning bids of auctions on our website. Hey, check it our website Haruhi. Your used mechanical pencil just sold for a winning bid of 30,000 yen. Good for you."

"What?! But I thought I'd lost that pencil! Why didn't you tell me about this before Kyoya-senpai?! I had no idea you were collecting money!"

"So you thought we were all working here as volunteers? While it's not much because of the expensive organising events, we happen to make a small profit from the online auctions."

"You can't go around selling other people's things without permission! That's stealing!"

"It wasn't stealing. You dropped that pencil on the floor," the twins said, clearly the ones who had taken it and given it to Kyoya. When Haruhi turned around with her fist raised, they quickly pretended to sip on their tea.

"Wah! I'm sorry Haruhi! It's not like we were hiding it from you! Here, you can have mine! It's got a cute teddy bear on it!" Tamaki screamed, grabbing a hold of her face and crying.

"Senpai, I don't want your pencil."

"Then to make it up to you, how about I do this! I'll tell you the secrets to my success and my fondest memories!"

"Not to be rude senpai, but I'm not really interested in that sort of thing."

Tamaki gasped dramatically as he went into his corner of depression.

"Not. Interested?"

"Oh you poor dear!" Chizuru said as they circled around the two girls. "I can't believe they've been deceiving you."

"Hey! Why don't you just dump these losers and come with us!" Hinako said.

"Excuse me, I think she's been through enough today," Rin said with a glare. "Why don't you just give her a break?"

"The maiden's right girls," Benio said. "We'll give you both some time to think about it. We'll come back for your answers tomorrow."

Benio lightly touched Haruhi's shoulder as she passed. "Well then, Adieu."

The three girls then left the room, twirling gracefully down the halls as the door shut behind them.

Haruhi stared at the door for a moment before turning around, glaring at the male members with no other expression on her face.

"…I better be going. I have some thinking to do," she said in monotone.

The other members were a bit distraught, but Kyoya was taking pictures, probably to sell online.

Haruhi opened the door and walked out, entering the black void behind them as the door shut behind her.

"Ah! Why did you have to tell her the truth?!" Tamaki screamed. "You just added fuel to the fire!"

"The facts are the facts," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses.

"Maybe we should have asked before selling her pencil on the internet," Honey-senpai said.

"That would have been the smart thing to do," Rin said.

"For all we know it was a keepsake from her mother," Kaoru said.

"Nah, it was a freebie they were giving out an electronics store," Hikaru said.

On closer inspection, written on the pencil were the words 'B's Electronics'.

"What kind of mother would give their kid a cheap pencil to remember them by?" Rin asked, glancing at Kaoru with a raised eyebrow.

"…Good point," Kaoru said with a nod.

"Gentlemen, just think about it," Tamaki said as he placed his hand on the window, staring out. "Haruhi may be basically indifferent, but if she had to choose we know she tends to favour men's clothing. Besides, when she first joined the Host Club, didn't she tell us-?"

"_Being in the Host Club and getting fused over by a bunch of girls may not be that bad."_

The Host Club stared as he sighed, looking down. "Why didn't I realise this before? Perhaps they would be a better match for both Haruhi and Rin. Maybe they'd be better off with…The Zuka Club."

"Yeah, they're perfect for a girls' school," Kaoru said.

"They're going to transfer away! Rin-chan, don't leave!" Honey-senpai cried, sobbing into her uniform as he clung on tight.

"What are we going to do?" Hikaru asked.

"Haruhi's so smart, passing their scholarship test will be a piece of cake."

"And Rin can easily afford all their entrance fees," Hikaru finished.

"And Lobelia has the money to pay off the eight million yet debt Haruhi owes us," Kyoya said as Mori-senpai nodded.

"Calm down gentlemen, it'll be alright," Tamaki said. "Now listen to what I have to say. Now Rin, do you want to leave Ouran Academy to go to…" He shivered. "Lobelia?"

"No. I'm staying here. I'm not going to go to some pretty all girls' school where they all spin around and twirl. Plus, if I go there, I'd miss all of you guys too much. I'd rather stay here with you goofballs."

Honey-senpai's eyes lightened up as he hugged her even tighter.

"Thank you god," Hikaru whispered as he sighed with relief.

Tamaki took a huge sigh of relief as a smirk came to his face. "Since you're not leaving, you can help us."

"With what?" she asked as Honey-senpai let go of her.

"I've got a secret plan."

"I don't like where this is going," Rin whispered as she glanced at the twins.

"Couldn't agree more," they whispered in unison.

…

"There, done," Rin said as she put the brush down, wiping her brow. "Never thought it could take so much work."

"Rin, it's your turn now," Tamaki said as he leaned against the wall.

"My turn? My turn for what?"

"To get ready of course. As a member of the Host Club, you must play your part with the utmost care," he said like he was quoting it from a book.

"So what do I have to do?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Chuck these on. Then we'll work out the plan."

He gave her a handful of items and she groaned, walking across to the other side of the room.

"If I die doing this, I'm gonna come back and haunt all of you."

* * *

**DAY 2 – THE MAIN EVENT – RESCUE HARUHI**

"I thought today's performance went extremely well," Hinako said, the three walking out of the stage building and across the courtyard.

"Our singing and acting skills are admired wherever we go," Chizuru said, tossing her hair back as she walked.

"That's true," Benio said. "But the main event has yet to begin. Right girls?"

…

Rin walked down the hallway, looking around every corner for Haruhi. In this plan, Rin was the distraction – to lure them into the Host Club. And what better way than to get Haruhi involved without her knowing it.

"Rin, is that you?" Haruhi asked.

She turned around to see Haruhi standing there with raised eyebrows, clearly confused at what was going on.

"Hey Haruhi," she said as she walked forward.

"W-What are you wearing?" she asked, gesturing to it.

"Oh, that. One word-"

"Tamaki," they said in unison, causing Haruhi to chuckle.

"Come on, let's get your out of here before they see you like this," Haruhi said.

"Good idea," Rin said with a nod as they started walking.

…

"Hi, young maidens," Benio said as she turned around to face them.

"We've come for your decision," Hinako said. "Are you prepared to leave?"

"We're ready to confront those Ouran Host Club idiots and set things straight once and for all," Chizuru said.

"Set what straight?" Haruhi asked.

"That you both should come with us and go to school with our own kind," Benio said as she held Haruhi's hand, whisking down the hallway as the others twirled behind her, dragging Rin along with them.

They quickly stopped in front of the doors to the Third Music Room.

Chizuru gasped as she glanced at Rin, her face turning red.

"Darling Rin," she started. "You look like an angel fallen from heaven!"

"Such a pity you have to work for those horrid Host Club boys," Benio said as she moved closer to Rin, placing her hands around her as she rested her head on her right shoulder.

"That's not going to be much of a problem after today," Hinako said.

Rin shrugged Benio off as she moved a step away, a shiver going up her spine from how uncomfortable she was.

Haruhi opened the doors and gasped.

The others peeked through, wondering what was happening while Rin just smirked.

All that could be seen was the pitch black room with a strange shaped figure on the ground.

Rin stepped in front of them, curtsying. "Ladies, welcome, to the Ouran Host Club," she said as purple lights turned on, shaping six silhouettes sitting down on the ground.

"Ouran~!" the Host Club members sang one at a time as they stood up, making their entrance. Then, the chandelier light turned back on. And that's when the other girls behind Haruhi stood in shock.

"Ouran~!" Tamaki sung as they rest of the members posed.

"Host Club – Welcomes you!" the Hosts all sung together.

Benio, Hinako, Chizuru and Haruhi were all in shock, unable to speak or even move. Breathing seemed almost like a chore for them.

"Oh Haruhi, welcome back," Tamaki said as he twirled forward.

"Look Haru-chan, I'm a princess now~! Aren't I cute?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Benio asked. "Are you trying to make fun of woman kind?"

"No. That's not it at all," Tamaki said. "Everything's going according to plan. Our strategy is guaranteed to make even a crying child smile. It's the freebie campaign."

The other Host Club members posed as he giggled.

"My dears, you ladies have all lived sheltered lives at Lobelia, so you might not know that commoners are _weak. _They have a weakness for free things. Haruhi – while you may be distracted by the Zuka Club – choose us, and you will not only get a Host Club full of brothers, but now more than one sister too."

Tamaki: long blonde extensions, purple eye shadow, red lipstick, blush, blue earrings and a red ball gown.

Hikaru and Kaoru: auburn extensions, green eye shadow, blush, pink lipstick, fans and green ball gowns.

Honey-senpai: blonde extensions, blue eye shadow, pink lipstick, blush, a pink bow and a pink ball gown.

Usu-chan: red lipstick, mascara and a red bow.

Mori-senpai: a blue marching band outfit, a white sash, black shoes and a tambourine.

Kyoya: black extensions, purple lipstick, a fan, a white headpiece and a purple ball gown.

Rin: a white strapless mid-drift top, a dark blue skirt, black heels and her hair hung over her right shoulder.

"See, this way you can experience feminine bonding while staying in the Host Club!" Tamaki announced.

Haruhi had no emotion on her face.

"Isn't that a great idea? Aren't I pretty?" he asked with a wink.

"We're the Hitachiin sisters. Which one of us is cuter?" they asked.

"I'm just teasing you," Hikaru said while Kaoru laughed.

"Listen Haru-chan – you can call me big sis from now on," Honey-senpai said.

"Haruhi~! Aren't I the cutest little sister you've ever seen?" Rin asked.

Kyoya fanned himself off with a smirk.

Mori-senpai shook the tambourine before he smacked it.

"Do you idiots really think you can win them over like that?" Benio asked. "I've had enough of your fooling around!"

And then, out of nowhere, Haruhi burst out into laughter, holding her stomach as she fell to her knees and fell down to the ground.

"This is too much! I don't even get what you idiots are trying to do! I knew you were a bunch of goofballs, but geez!"

She sat down on the floor, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

"Are we really that funny?" Honey-senpai and the twins asked as they went over to her, right into her face.

She screamed out in laughter.

"Call me big sister! Come on, do it! Just say it! Big Sister! Say it!"

"Ahh! Hahahaha!" Haruhi cried out. "Come on! Cut it out!"

"What were you thinking? What's gotten into you guys? Especially you Rin!"

Rin looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"We did this because we didn't want you to leave the Host Club, Haruhi," Hikaru said. Haruhi smiled with realisation.

"Well maiden, have you made a choice?" Benio asked.

"Yeah, I have," Haruhi said as she stood up, dusting herself off. "I'm sorry, but your club's not for me. While I do think the idea of a girl's school is great and your views are very unique and interesting, but I came to this school with a goal and a plan for my future. So, while I appreciate your offer, I really already knew that I was going to leave Ouran Academy."

Chizuru and Hinako gasped, in shock that they're plan didn't work.

"Wait, hold on," Tamaki said. "If you knew you weren't going to leave, then why did you act so angry yesterday?"

"How would you feel if I stole something of yours without asking? I really liked that mechanical pencil - it was easy to write with!"

"I'm sorry. But I was nice enough and offered you my teddy bear pencil but you said you didn't want it."

"That's right, and I still don't want it."

…

"What about you dear?" Chizuru asked. "Will you be coming with us?"

"Yes, surely a girl like you would love our school," Hinako said.

"Young maiden, would you like to leave with us or stay here with those…idiot Host Club boys?" Benio asked.

"At the Zuka Club, you'd be recognised as the beautiful girl you are," Chizuru said.

"Yeah, instead of being a servant to selfish men," Hinako said.

"You're still so young and pure," Benio finished. "Don't throw it away."

"I'm sorry to burst you bubble Benio, but I want to stay here, with these goofballs. Though it may not seem like it, I love these guys. They're like my family. And I can't give that up."

Benio stood there, her mouth open. But, she smiled.

"So loyal. You're a real maiden."

"Ah huh, keep telling yourself that," she said. "Also Benio, there's another reason I wouldn't be good in your little club."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"You know this whole 'hatred of men' thing you have going on? Well I can't hate my boyfriend now, can I?" she asked with a smirk.

"Boyfriend? You have a…boyfriend?" Benio stared like her world had come crashing down. She shook her head, her eyebrows narrowing. "What is the meaning of this? I don't believe you!"

"Oh really, you don't?" Hikaru asked with a smirk, slowly moving his arms around her waist.

"Don't do anything stupid Hikaru," Kaoru said.

"Guess I'll have to prove it to you then."

He moved her around until he was facing her and bent down slowly until they were just centimetres apart. Her face flushed as he slowly moved closer, finally connecting their lips together in a kiss.

The Zuka Club girls stood in shock, gasping as Benio stiffened.

"How dare you do this to your sister?!" Tamaki screamed.

"Benio," Chizuru started.

"Yes. I know," she replied. "We're not going to give up on you maidens. I swear this to you, someday we'll come and rescue you both from this place. And when we do, we'll abolish the Ouran Host Club! And Rin, I promise that we'll help you overcome the brainwashing that red haired devil has put you under."

She paused before a smirk formed onto her face. "Well, adieu."

The three gracefully twirled out the door, purple flower petals flying through the air.

Oh wait, that dreaded monkey was back.

He threw three banana peels onto the ground, causing the three girls to slip over as they screamed.

The door shut on its own and the room was silent. Then, the lights went out.

"What just happened?" Rin asked.

Then, Renge's powerful motor booted up once again, the pillar lifting up from out of the ground. She was sitting next to the monkey, a banana peel in his hands, ready to throw.

"And so, a new rival, The Zuka Club, has appeared. From this point on the story's going to get more exciting."

She peeled the skin off of a banana. "What's going to happen to our Ouran Host Club boys…and Rin next? Hang in there Host Club! Don't give up guys!"

"Hey! It's not your job to cook things up!" Tamaki yelled.

Then, the monkey chucked down the banana peel right underneath Tamaki's feet, causing him to slip over and fall down to the ground.

"Ha! Serves you right!" Rin yelled as she laughed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – A Day in the Life of the Fujioka Family!**

Tamaki gasped as he stared right in front of him. The other members stared in disbelief. The seven were standing in front of the Fujioka household.

Tamaki had on a green jumper with blue jeans.

The twins had on red and white jumpers with green pants.

Kyoya had a sleeveless jacket, a red top with brown pants.

Mori-senpai had a black jacket, blue top and black pants.

Honey-senpai had a blue sailor top with blue pants.

Rin had a loose grey green jumper with black jeans.

The house was in complete shambles. Ruined. Destroyed. "T-This can't be right," Tamaki mumbled. It then went silent. Rin sighed.

"I guess someone's gonna have to knock on that door," she said. She looked around before realising no one else was moving. She groaned as she walked over to the ledge of the house, right in front of the rickety door. She cautiously knocked on it before it seemed to creak. It unhinged and started falling. She shrieked as she got pulled back into the safety of Hikaru's arms, just as the door landed on the ground with a thud.

All they could hear was Rin's heavy and panicked breath. They then saw a scrawny arm emerge from the shadows and lift the door with the slightest of ease. Once the door was back in place, they could hollow and dark brown eyes through the darkness. The host club gasped.

"H-Hey everyone," Haruhi said as her whole face was shined down on with sunlight. "Why don't you come in?" Her voice was rough and hoarse. The members looked at each other.

Haruhi had dust on her green hoddie and it seemed to be sown together in many different places. She even had on disgusting green plaided shorts, covered in dirt and dust. She looked absolutely horrible.

The seven entered the room as the light bulb was turned on. It was literally hanging from the ceiling, activated by a string.

"I-I know it's not much but please, make yourselves at home."

The walls were covered in dust, dirt and seemed to be falling apart. Planks of wood were broken and there were loose nails.

"I'll make you some tea," Haruhi said as she bent down to the cupboard. She reached around and then looked saddened.

"Oh. I'm sorry. We don't have enough cups. But we do have some bowels," she said placing the things down.

Somehow the twins, Tamaki, and Rin were huddled together.

"Hey boss, what's with this place?" Kaoru whispered.

"Does she actually live here?" Rin whispered.

"Maybe it's some kind of set, like in the movies," Hikaru whispered and Tamaki gasped.

"I-I-I-I hope so," he stuttered. "Calm down you guys. I bet this is the store room. I'm positive the infinite cosmos is just on the other side of that closet." He pointed in front of them.

"Should we try to open it?" the twins asked.

"Now's not that time!"

"This is all very strange," Rin muttered to herself.

"Since you guys decided to come here during lunchtime, my dad said it would be rude if I didn't offer you something to eat." Haruhi then opened another cupboard, which to the host club, lead to nothing but a black hole. "We've been fasting for three days to save up money to buy something suited to your tastes." She then twitched. "But it's all worth it as long as you guys like it." She then reached her hand into the black hole and pulled out something. "Ta-da. A sushi sampler. It was marked down at the supermarket. How about that?" She then laughed.

"Haruhi, why would you try to starve yourself? Why would you go to such lengths to give us some food?" Rin cried.

"B-Because you're my friends. I just want you to be happy."

"I'm sorry we came to visit Haru-chan! Don't make us eat it!"

"Stay strong men," Tamaki commanded. "Haruhi has suffered for our benefit so it's the least we can do."

"But sir, I'm not even sure this is fish," Kaoru said.

"Oh wow, I can't believe it," Haruhi said amazed. "Isn't this a piece of fancy tuna? I've never tasted it, till now." Tamaki gasped as she put the piece of tuna in her mouth. "It's delicious," she said after she finished chewing.

…

"NO HARUHI! THAT'S JUST REGULAR OLD TUNA! IT'S BY NO MEANS FANCY!" Tamaki screamed as he woke up. He took deep breaths before he noticed where he was. In his bedroom. He looked out the window before a smile came onto his face. "Just a dream," he said, sighing with relief.

…

Tamaki ran down the many, many stairs, adjusting his tie. "Morning Master Tamaki," an old woman named Shima said. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"I need to get going," he please. "Please bring the car around front." The limo driver nodded.

"I bed your pardon Master Tamaki, but what would you like for breakfast this morning?"

"I DON'T WANT ANY! I ALREADY TOLD YOU I HAVE TO GET GOING!" He was spazzing out, yet again.

_I can't shake that nightmare I had this morning. I respect the privacy of our club members, and I've never intruded on their personal lives, but…what if Haruhi is really living in poverty? What if that appoval is her home? I have to go see Haruhi and get the truth out of her. I need to get to school._

"Hold it right there Master Tamaki!" Shima called. "I can't let you leave the house like that! You're still wearing your pyjama bottoms and your house slippers!" Tamaki stopped. Tamaki screamed as he ran all the way back upstairs. "Well, he's not the brightest young man."

He came back down, fully changed and he cleared his throat.

"Thank you Shima, and I'll be going now."

"I hate to be a bother Master Tamaki, but today is Sunday. Which means you don't have to go to school today, sir."

"Oh really? Well, why didn't you make me aware of that fact earlier?" Tamaki asked, trying to remain calm.

"As your maid, it's my duty to help you. However, I want you to become a fine gentlemen. So you must be able to recognise your own mistakes!" She then dragged him down the hall. "Since you now have some free time on your hands, why don't we work on your manners?" Tamaki screamed in protest.

"I HAVE TO MAKE A CALL! SOMEONE BRING ME A PHONE!"

Quickly, one of the maids handed him a phone and he quickly started dialling a number. He heard Shima scoff with a disgusted tone as she rolled her eyes and walked away. He waited for the phone to ring before he sighed.

_"Hello?"_ he heard the voice on the other end say.

"Hey Kyoya, there's something I need to talk to you about."

…

_That was some sale, _Haruhi thought as she walked down the street.

_There's no better time to head to the supermarket then a Sunday morning. Now all I have to do when I get home is clean and do some laundry. _

She stopped in her tracks. There was a limo with people circling around it in awe.

_What's going on? Why are they in front of our apartment?_

Haruhi stared in awe as the people in town gossiped.

"Here you are master," the driver said, opening the door.

Out walked Tamaki. Then Kyoya. Then Hikaru. Then Kaoru. Then Rin. Then Mori-senpai. Then Honey-senpai.

They were all wearing the same outfits as in Tamaki's dream.

Haruhi groaned as she leaned her head against a pole.

"Whoa, so this is where Haruhi lives?" Kaoru asked.

"It's pretty big, bigger than I thought it'd be," Hikaru said.

"Yeah! Look at all the rooms!" Honey-senpai cheered.

"This is what you might call an agricrite commoner dwelling," Kyoya said. "Haruhi's home is just one of the many units in this building." Tamaki then grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Kyoya!" he called out. "Why, why did you bring Rin and those idiots with us? Especially those two doppelgangers!"

"Well you see, I knew you didn't have the courage to come here alone, so I thought it be best if everyone came along."  
He then patted the twins on the back. "Alright, let's go home. I guess I underestimated our great leader."

"What!?" the twins yelled. "I'm not going home!"

"I'm sorry! Don't leave. I don't want to be alone."

…

Rin rolled her eyes. _They wake me up for this, _she thought.

"Now listen up men," Tamaki started. "DON'T YOU FORGET! We must be polite. This is a casual, 'We just happened to be in the neighbourhood' kind of visit. We're not here to judge the Fujioka family's lifestyle. The words, 'shabby', 'cramped', and 'run down' are absolutely forbidden!"

"Right! Yes sir!" the twins and Honey-senpai said. Rin and Mori-senpai just simply saluted.

"Don't say anything that offend Haruhi or her father and cause them to ask us to leave."

"Well it's too late for that!" Haruhi yelled from behind them. Tamaki turned around and gasped.

She had on a pink dress, a white t-shirt and blue pants. She looked pretty ticked off.

"That pink dress is pretty cute," four of the members said.

"Shut up! Get the hell out of here!"

"AH! HARUHI'S SO MAD, SHE ACTUALLY CURSED AT US! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" he screamed at the twins.

"Hey, it wasn't us," they said casually.

"Don't go blaming them for something you did," Rin said.

"Just because you're over the fact that-" Kaoru started.

"Me and your precious daughter are dating-" Hikaru said.

"Doesn't mean you can blame them," Rin finished.

"WHY ARE YOU ON THEIR SIDE!?"

…

"Excuse me Haruhi, but is everything alright?" a woman asked.

"Oh hi Miss Landlady," Haruhi responded.

"Those young men and that young lady are driving such fancy foreign cars. They're not Yakuza are they?"

"No, they're not."

"Do you want me to call the police for you?"

"Pleased to meet you madam," Tamaki said, holding the woman's hand. "My name's Suoh. I'm one of Haruhi's friends."

"Really? My goodness, aren't you just adorable."

_"And, he's got her."_

"We're just stopping by. We didn't mean to cause a scene. I'm sorry," Tamaki said as he flicked his hair out of his face.

"Oh, it's no problem," the woman said before giggling. "I'll stop by later with some snacks for you and your friends. See ya later!" She then ran away, giggling and waving.

…

"Okay, here's the deal," Haruhi said as they stood outside her door. "I'm only gonna give you guys a quick peek. 3 seconds. And then you can all go home." Tamaki looked around nervous as if he'd lost something.

"Look! I brought you a gift Haru-chan," Honey-senpai said, holding a box of cakes that Tamaki recently had in his hands. "I know how you love cake. There's both chocolate and strawberry. I think we should have some!"

"Fine, I guess I'll make some tea," Haruhi said as she turned back around and unlocked the door. When she opened it, Tamaki took a sigh of relief.

_At least it's better than my dream._

"What a hovel," Hikaru muttered.

"SHUT UP!" Tamaki screamed, pulling on his cheeks.

…

"A wooden built two bedroom unit. That's normal for a commoner family of two," Kyoya said as he looked around.

"Haruhi's such a pipsqueak. At least we know she won't hit her head on the slow ceiling," Kaoru said.

"Well I think it's a super cute little room," Honey-senpai said.

"Yeah, it looks nice and…cosy?" Rin said.

"You don't have to struggle to compliment it," Haruhi groaned.

"Hold on, are we supposed to take our shoes off too?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Please, if you don't mind."

"Did you hear that? We have to take our shoes off! It's kinda like going to the dojo huh?"

"Yeah," Mori-senpai said.

"Do you have any slippers for us Haruhi?" Hikaru asked.

"Wait, the rooms covered with Tatami mats," Kaoru said.

"In that case, we don't need slippers."

"Great, thanks for inviting us in," the twins and Honey-senpai said, as they walked past her.

"Yeah, thanks," Mori-senpai said.

"It's greatly appreciated," Tamaki said.

"Yes, thanks Haruhi," Kyoya said.

"Haruhi, I am so sorry about them," Rin said. Haruhi sighed.

_At least one of them is normal_, she thought.

"Whoa, talk about small," Hikaru said.

"Watch your head Mori-senpai," Rin said.

"Ow," Mori-senpai said.

"Be careful, that light bulb just hanging from the ceiling," Kaoru said.

"This place is quite unpleasant, but I think I may have underestimated commoner housing," Tamaki said. "I know it's a tight fit in here men, but just pull your knees together and sit gym style. Commoners have especially developed this position to conserve space." Haruhi got really ticked as she turned away.

"…I'm just gonna sit like this," Rin said, tucking her legs underneath her, sitting on her knees.

"I'm gonna go make us some tea," Haruhi said annoyed.

"Hey, here's an idea," Hikaru said. "Why don't you make us this? It's black tea that our father gave us as a souvenir from Africa. Here, try it."

"Your dad went to Africa?" Rin asked.

"He travels all around the world." He put his arm around her shoulders as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Its best served with milk tea," Kaoru said. "Do you have milk?" Haruhi then stopped to think.

"I think. When was the last time I bought some milk?" Haruhi then walked away and into the kitchen.

"Stop it!" Tamaki whispered to the twins, grabbing them. "What the hell are you doing? Don't be so mean to Haruhi you idiots!" The twins looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" they asked.

"I know you're trying to embarrass her by asking her for that African tea. Look! She has no idea how she's supposed to prepare it." He then let go of them.

"She doesn't even have a teapot," Hikaru said.

"And she's too embarrassed to tell us that she doesn't," Kaoru said. Rin rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry Haruhi. You don't have to go to all that trouble. We don't need any tea. We'd be fine with a glass of water."

"What? It's no trouble. Besides, I've already made it."

"Oh, well then in that case," the twins said, trailing off.

"Man, that was a close one boss," Hikaru sighed with relief.

"We've been rescued by commoner's wisdom," Tamaki said.

"What do you mean sir?" Kaoru asked.

"Nothing we know to be true in our world, holds true here. We have to be careful how we react. One little offhand remark could break Haruhi's heart. That means in this fight, the first person to embarrass Haruhi loses."

"While your antics are amusing, I don't understand why you feel the need to turn this into a contest," Kyoya said.

"Yeah, doesn't that seem a little, far-fetched," Rin said.

"What? Do you want to play too?" Hikaru asked with a smirk.

"Why should I? I already know who's gonna win."

"Oh really? Who would that be?"

"Simple, me."

"You're such a hard ass," Hikaru said as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Tamaki gasped in disgust.

"Okay, first of all, get a room. Secondly, the teas ready," Haruhi said as she sat down, placing the cups onto the table. "I'm sorry that not all the cups match."

_At least she's not using chipped bowels and measuring cups._

_…_

Haruhi and Rin stared down at the cakes set out. They all looked so delicious.

"Come on Haru-chan, you can chose your cake first."

"You sure Honey-senpai?"

"Yeah, go on. We're rich. We eat this stuff all the time," Hikaru said, but got shushed by Kaoru, Tamaki and Rin.

"I'll have the strawberry."

"She's so cute," Kaoru and Tamaki said in unison.

"I wish I could tell her how cute she is," Tamaki said.

"But there's no telling what would offend her!"

"The traps of the commoner world are terrifying!" Kaoru said.

"Go on Rin-chan, it's your turn next."

"Uh okay, how about the chocolate," Rin said with a smile.

"She is too cute!" Tamaki said and Hikaru glared.

"Don't even think about touching my girlfriend."

"How dare you call your beloved sister that?" Tamaki yelled.

"Shut up Tamaki!" Rin called and he gasped dramatically.

…

Haruhi stared down at her food. She then saw a fork placing a strawberry down on her plate. He then repeated that step.

"You like strawberries right?" Mori-senpai asked.

"Here, you can have mine."

"Thanks! That's nice of you Mori-senpai!"

"Hey Rin-chan! How about we split our strawberries?"

"Uh, sure thing Honey-senpai," she said as he halved his strawberries and gave half of them to her.

"Thanks Honey-senpai. You're too cute!"

"WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THAT?!" Hikaru cried out.

"WE COULD HAVE BEEN SHARING STRAWBERRIES WITH THEM!" Tamaki cried out, more dramatically.

"WHY WOULD WE LET THEM TRICK US!" Kaoru cried out.

"WHY DO YOU THINK WE CAN'T HEAR YOU?" Rin screamed.

"AH! DON'T YELL AT ME!" Tamaki cried, going to the corner.

"Geez, I'm gonna get a headache around here from all this crying, yelling and screaming," Rin groaned.

…

"Eating all that cake sure wet my appetite," Honey-senpai said.

"Yeah, isn't it lunch time about now?" Hikaru asked.

"Well then, what's for lunch?" the twins, Honey-senpai and Tamaki asked, tilting their head to the right.

"Would you guys quit being so happy-go-lucky all the time?"

"Yeah, its kind creepy," Rin said, staring at them.

"We'll take care of it. We did drop in unexpectedly," Kyoya said. "So, we'll pay for lunch. Why don't you just order us some of your favourite sushi?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. If I let you guys pay, I know I'll only regret it later."

"Oh don't worry Haruhi. We'll just pay for it with the profits from the photos of you we auctioned off."

"So, I'm really paying for it after all," Haruhi said groaning.

"Well, if that's what you want, I do have a friend who runs a nice little sushi shop nearby so I can just give him a call. There stuffs pretty high quality." Tamaki gasped.

He then quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and started writing something down. Once he finished, he quickly rushed over to Haruhi and gave it to her.

"Be careful Haruhi. Just because the sushi's packaging says Premium, doesn't mean, its high quality," Haruhi read out. She then scrunched it up and chucked it in the bin. "I'm not stupid. I could figure that out on my own."

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? DADDY EVEN TRIED TO LOOK CASUAL AND NOT EMBARRASS YOU!"

"So, I guess Tamaki's out," Rin said and Tamaki glared.

"I'd really love it if you made us something for lunch Haru-chan," Honey-senpai said, his eyes twinkling.

"NO HONEY-SENPAI!" Hikaru screamed.

"HOW COULD YOU ASK THAT OF HER?" Kaoru screamed.

"DON'T UPSET HER! TRY TO RESTRAIN YOURSELF!"

"I guess I could whip something up but it's gonna take a while. Would you be able to help Rin?"

"Yeah, sure. Would you be willing to wait for us?"

"We can wait!"

"Why didn't we think of asking her that?" the twins asked.

"Now we'll get to eat, Haruhi and Rin's cooking!" Tamaki cried.

"I'm gonna have to go to the supermarket again."

"We're coming with you," Hikaru said.

"We want to see a commoner's supermarket," Kaoru said.

"Me too! Me too!" Honey-senpai cheered.

"Yeah, it could be fun," Rin said.

"This could be good learning experience," Kyoya said.

"Yay! Commoner supermarket! Commoner supermarket!"

"Wah! You're running too fast," Rin cried from outside.

"This is gonna be fun!" Honey-senpai said.

…

"Well, that's it, so much for my day off today," Haruhi groaned. She then walked into the other room, noticing Tamaki.

"Hey senpai, aren't you coming with us?" she asked.

"Yes, I just want to pay respects to your mother before we left."

"Thank you."

"…It looks like you take after your mom."

"Yeah I guess. That's what my dad always tells me."

"She was a beautiful woman. And I bet a smart one as well."

"I'm not really good at judging beauty, but she was smart. She was a lawyer," she said, sitting down.

"Oh yeah? No doubt she was a great lawyer. I can tell. Trust me. You can't fool these eyes Haruhi."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that senpai." He then groaned in annoyance. "But my mom…"

…

_"Well Haruhi, your mom's gonna go out there and do her best! Watch, we're gonna win this won!"_

_…_

"…She was a great lawyer."

"…Everyone's outside waiting for us. We should probably get going, don't ya think?" he said nervously as he stood up.

Unfortunately, he slipped on a banana peel. The two screamed as he fell right on top of Haruhi, but he didn't crush her.

"That hurt! Are you okay Haruhi?"

"I am. But you are kinda heavy."

"I'm home Haruhi!" a woman with a man's voice said as they twirled through the door. She/he had long red hair and light brown eyes. "Hey, why'd ya leave the door open?" It then went suddenly quiet as she/he saw what happened.

"…Welcome home dad," Haruhi said.

"AHHHHHH!" Tamaki screamed.

…

_"In that moment, her father came home-" Mori-senpai said._

_"From his shift at the tranny bar," Honey-senpai said._

_"He saw his daughter pinned down-"_

_"Or so it appeared-"_

_"Forcefully being held-"_

_"Or so it appeared-"_

_"By some strange boy."_

_…_

_Dad? You got to be kidding! This transvestite is Haruhi's father?_

"So dad, how was work?" she asked casually. Tamaki meanwhile, was screaming internally.

_Just stay calm, it was an accident. I'm sure he'll understand when I explained what happened._

Haruhi's father stared at them before a fake smile went onto his face. He then walked over and shoved Tamaki into the wall.

"I'm sorry. I hated having to leave you alone last night. Must have been lonely," her father said.

"That sound. He hit really hard," Haruhi stuttered.

"My left arm has been bothering me lately. It's so sore. Like I went hand to hand with some ferocious beast."

"Please, it's not what you think," Tamaki tried to say.

"I could sure use a cup of hot tea right now," her father said.

"HOT TEA! I'LL GET IT FOR YOU! DO YOU USE FIREWOOD TO BOIL IT? HARUHI! HELP ME OUT! YOUR DAD WANTS TEA!"

He then screamed as he was crushed by a foot.

"Oh? Would you look at that? It seems I've come across a little pest. Would you like to tell me why you're addressing my daughter with such informality young man?"

…

"Hey boss, what in the world is taking so long?" Hikaru asked.

"Whoa, check it out. That person we passed downstairs was Haruhi's father," Kaoru said.

"Oh, well isn't this awkward," Rin said as she walked in.

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Rin! Help me out here!" Tamaki cried.

The twins then walked on top of him.

"It's nice to meet you Haruhi's dad. We're good friends of your daughters, the Hitachiin brothers."

"So you're a transvestite huh?" Hikaru asked with a smile.

"You're the first real transvestite we've seen," Kaoru said.

"You finally made the moves on Haruhi huh?" they asked.

"Sorry about him, he's a ladies man, if you know what I mean," Hikaru said.

"He's a pheromone machine. In fact, I'll bet he's fooled around with more ladies then you can count," Kaoru said.

"He likes to fool around huh?" Haruhi's father asked coldly.

"NO! I'm not a ladies man! I'm a nice guy! I care about her!"

_Is he confessing his love?_

"I'm being completely honest here. I care about Haruhi like she's my own daughter," he said, bowing on his knees.

_Haruhi's father's first impression of Tamaki: He's an idiot._

"I get it. You must be the host club I've heard so much about. You certainly are a fine bunch of good looking men. I'm not sure which one of you I like best. What about you dear? And look at this darling little girl. You must be with them as well. I bet you're dating one of these young chaps. I mean, how could you not? They're quite attractive."

"That's what I've been trying to tell Haruhi," Rin said. Haruhi glared at her, than at her father, indicating to her father to not say a word about it.

"I tell you what, why don't you guys go ahead and call me Ranka. That's the professional name I use at the transvestite bar."

"Professional name? You mean like a stage name?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Exactly like that Mitskuni."

"Hold on. How did you know my name sir?"

"You two are third years. Mitskuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka." Honey-senpai brightened up.

"And the two of you are first years in the same class as Haruhi. You're the Hitachiin twins. But I'm not sure which one of you is which. And you're the youngest, a first year in Haruhi's class as well. You're Rin Hayashi. I've heard a lot about you." The three first years gasped.

"What? So Haruhi told you about us?" Kaoru asked.

"No, Kyoya told me about you three over the phone!"

"You know, you really are a beautiful person Ranka."

"WHAT?!" the host club screamed.

"Kyoya!" Tamaki said as he grabbed his shoulder.

"We've been entrusted with the care of his precious daughter. It is only natural that we introduce ourselves and give him periodic reports. Ordinarily, that would be your job." Tamaki let go of his shoulder and flung backwards.

"I'm impressed that the club has such a great president. Wait a minute, you're only the vice president, aren't you Kyoya? That president of yours is good for nothing, right?" Tamaki got stung by each comment and was just about dead.

"YOU NEVER MENTIONED THIS TO ME DAD! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WERE GETTING CALLS FROM KYOYA-SENPAI?" Haruhi screamed as she stood up.

"Well what am I supposed to do Haruhi? You rarely tell me anything about school."

"SO THAT MAKES IT OKAY TO TALK BEHIND MY BACK? COME ON SENPAI, WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP GROWING MUSHROOMS IN OTHER PEOPLE'S CLOSETS!"

"Haruhi. The thing about you is…You're cute even when you're angry!" Ranka said as he grabbed and hugged her.

"I don't know what it is about him, but Haruhi's dad reminds me of someone," Hikaru said.

"This explains why she's so good at handling the boss," Kaoru said. Haruhi then started walking away.

"Wait! Haruhi! Where are you going?"

"The supermarket, alright? I have to go shopping and I want to do it by myself. So all of you stay here and try to behave yourselves."

"Wait! What about me Haruhi?" Rin asked, trying to be cute.

"Rin. I leave you in charge of these nutbags. You make sure they don't get into any trouble, alright?" Rin nodded as Haruhi headed out the door.

"Wait! We wanna go to the commoner's supermarket!" Hikaru called out and Rin forced him to turn around.

"I wouldn't push it. Once she's made up her mind, she'll never change it. When she decided she wanted to go to Ouran Academy, she did all the enrolment papers by herself. While I respect her independent spirit, I'd wish she'd be a little more dependable on me sometimes.

…

_The Fujioka Family, 8 years ago:_

_"Haruhi~! So why didn't you tell me that today was bring your parents to school day!?" Ranka asked._

_"Sorry dad! I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to go!"_

_…_

_"What? She's not going through a rebellious phase," his co-worker at the liquor store said. "Listen, I hate to be the one to break it to you buddy, but I have a feeling she didn't invite you to school with her because she's embarrassed her daddy's a tranny." Ranka became outraged._

_"So I like to wear women's clothing. What's it matter? I'll never love anyone the way I loved Kotoko and she never had a problem with it, so lay off would you?!"_

_…_

_"Hey Haruhi! I brought your dad home! He's drunk himself stupid again!" his co-worker yelled, ringing the doorbell._

_"Hello my darling! I'm home!" Ranka yelled as he rushed through the door and hugged Haruhi._

_"You smell like a bar," she commented._

_"He's pretty upset about not being able to go to 'Bring your Parents to School Day' today. You should invite him next time."_

_"…I can't. I didn't invite you because you work so hard and I thought you could use some time off. I know that you're pretty tired dad. So I thought you could use your day off to catch up on your sleep. I want you to take better care of yourself."_

_A single tear rolled Ranka's face as he hugged his daughter.__Luckily, she hugged him back._

_…_

"I hope you guys know how grateful I am. Since she's found you, she seems to be happier. She seems to be enjoying herself. Wouldn't you agree, Tamaki?"

"You know who I am?" he asked, coming out of the closet.

"Of course I do. Haruhi's told me a thing or two about you. You're the club's fumbling president, right?" Tamaki gasped with a mix of delight and joy. "Come to think of it, you're the one who didn't realise Haruhi was a girl until the last moment. You're clueless. Pretty pathetic." Tamaki went back in the closet.

"And now that we've got introductions out of the way, how would you guys like to have a little fun?" The hosts looked at each other, kind of worried.

…

Haruhi sighed as she walked down the deserted street. "Why didn't he tell me?" she mumbled. "I had no idea Kyoya-senpai was calling my dad and giving him updates."

…

Behind a street pole where the host club members.

"So we're going to follow her to the supermarket?" the twins asked. Ranka was now wearing a completely different outfit.

"Isn't this invading her privacy?" Rin asked.

"This is what you meant by fun?" Kyoya asked.

"Yes. I call it the stalking game!" Ranka said.

_"What an attractive group of young men."_

_"And that girl is gorgeous."_

_"Are they all movie stars?"_

"You know, I have a very selfish reason for bringing you out with me. I want to be seen with a bunch of cute boys."

"But what about my darling-" Tamaki started.

"Don't even finish that sentence," Rin said bitterly.

"But of course. This little cutie makes us look a bunch of celebrities," Ranka said, squeezing Rin's cheeks.

"Well this is uncomfortable," she whispered to the twins.

"Sure enough, those two are defiantly cut from the same cloth," the twins commented.

* * *

**MARUTOBI SUPERMARKET**

Haruhi stared at the food in front of her, wondering whether or not to put it in her shopping basket.

Tamaki and Ranka stood far away and watched as she put one in and walked away.

The twins poked out from corners, quickly hiding back.

Honey-senpai ran through the aisle. Mori-senpai dragged him back.

Rin was trying to keep the twins under control.

"Do you really think it's necessary to follow her around like this?" Tamaki asked as Haruhi walked past them. "Are you that worried about her?"

"As you know, Haruhi lost her mother at a young age. Afterwards, she took care of all the household chores and shopping by herself. I decided to start following her whenever she would leave the house. Maybe I'm just being overprotective. I worry about her all the time. I'm the only one who can protect her, ya know?"

…

_Haruhi, 6 years ago:_

_"Hey, what are you doing here Dad?" Haruhi asked._

_"Oh, looks like you caught me Haruhi! I followed you here so I could carry your shopping baskets. You know how daddy loves accessories. Now why don't you just hand it over?"_

_"…You're so weird," she said laughing._

_…_

"Either she doesn't know how to depend on others, or she refuses to. She's always been so independent and so strong. And she has this uncanny ability to affect others without even realising it."

"That's true. I've seen it. I understand." Ranka gasped.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA WIN ME OVER JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE HANDSOME? I'M WARNING YOU! I'M NOT READY TO LET GO YET!" Ranka screamed as he pulled on roughly pulled on Tamaki's cheeks. He screamed in agony.

"You could at least let go of my face," Tamaki tried to say.

"YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE! YOU BARELY KNOW HARUHI! THAT MEANS, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, YOU'RE MY ENEMY!" Tamaki then screamed as Ranka kicked him.

Tamaki fell right behind Haruhi and she turned around.

"What the…? Hey, what are you doing here senpai?"

"Oh, looks like you caught me Haruhi! I followed you here so I could carry your shopping baskets. You know how daddy loves accessories. Now why don't you just hand it over?"

"…You're so weird," she said laughing. Ranka stood up.

"What's with the mushrooms?" Haruhi asked.

…

"Weee! Faster Takashi!" Honey-senpai said, being pushed around in a shopping trolley by Mori-senpai.

"Do these double coupons mean I need two?" Kyoya asked.

"Look! There's a stack of commoner's coffee," Hikaru said.

"Well, come on then! Let's go!" Rin said, grabbing Hikaru's hand as they started walking with Kaoru not far behind.

"Is there anything in particular you wanted to eat?" Haruhi asked.

"How about, a stew pot. One with lots of meat and no chrysanthemum," Tamaki said, a little embarrassed.

"That's a great idea. A stew pot would be good considering that we need to feed a lot of people. It's kinda warm for it though."

…

"I know it's going to happen eventually. One day, my precious little girl, will be all grown up. And she'll want that special someone by her side. JUST THINKING ABOUT IT GETS MY BLOOD BOILING!" Ranka screamed as they sat at the table back in Haruhi's house. "Here Tamaki, how about chrysanthemum. You're favourite."

"Wah, no, I, uh," Tamaki stuttered.

"Wow, there's so much food here," Hikaru said. "I'm glad I didn't get any chrysanthemum."

"Wow Rin-chan and Haru-chan. Good work you two!"

"Why thank you Honey-senpai!" Rin said with a huge goofy grin on her face.

"What's going on here?" Haruhi asked.

"Don't hog all the meat though," Kaoru said.

"It's delicious!" Honey-senpai cheered.

"It's not that bad," Mori-senpai said.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Hello yet again! This one was a...weird...chapter to write. It's actually a weird episode to begin with. So, I hope it's good because I had no idea where to put Rin in this chapter, but I somehow worked her in there.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Big Brother is a Prince!**

A young blonde haired girl sighed as she stared at the lake in front of her. She had cute high pigtails and shiny blue eyes. She seemed to be about only five years old. She took a deep breath before continuing on her journey.

"There might be a big nasty monster out here," she said. "I better hurry up, and try to find my big brother. My big brother is a strong and handsome prince. So I'm sure he'd be able to beat a monster for me."

A big cat opened its eyes and stood up from inside the bushes. It yawned as it ran away.

…

She walked down the hallways of Ouran Academy. She stopped once she reached a door. The sign read, 'Music Room #3'.

The door was slightly open and all she could see was a bright light. She became intrigued but remembered her goal and opened the door. There was a bright light with red rose petals flowing through the air. Once the light had cleared she gasped.

"Welcome." There were eight police officers in front of her. Seven males and one female.

"Oh my, what an unusually young guest," Tamaki said. "Well, I'm glad you're here. My little lost kitty-cat."

_When I opened the door, the police were there waiting for me._

"Little kitty-cat, why have you come to see us today?" Her cheeks turned red before she pointed at him.

"It's a reverse harem!" The host club gasped. "This is a reverse harem!" They stood in silence.

"That can't be right. I must have heard wrong. I think there still some water in my ear from when I went swimming."

"Water in the ear, that's gotta be it," Hikaru said nervously.

"I'm sure we just heard her wrong. There's no way this cute little girl said the words 'reverse harem'. Something's going on with our ears," Kaoru said.

"There's debauchery here." They gasped. "Yay! There's debauchery here, isn't there?!"

She pointed to Kyoya. "You're the glasses character."

She pointed to Honey-senpai. "You're the Boy Lolita."

Then to Mori-senpai. "And the Stoic Type."

She pointed to the twins. "Twincest."

Then to Haruhi. "The Bookworm." Haruhi groaned.

"And the Eye Candy!" Rin glared at her.

She then looked at Tamaki, who suddenly got nervous. She gasped as her eyes suddenly started tearing up.

"Big…brother," she mumbled. She then jumped at him. "My brother's blonde! You must be him!" She clung onto him.

"You never told us about this," Hikaru said.

"Since when did you have a little sister?" Kaoru asked.

"I don't. I'm defiantly an only child, at least as far as I know."

"Wouldn't she be a bit too young to be your sister?" Rin asked.

"That's what I was thinking!" Tamaki said, trying to get the little girl's grip away from his neck.

"The more I look at you, the two of you do look alike," Honey-senpai said. "You're both blonde after all."

"I want to know if glasses character is superior to big brother," Kyoya said.

"But does it really matter? I can't believe she called me bookworm," Haruhi said annoyed.

"At least she didn't call you the eye candy," Rin muttered.

"Excuse me, you want to tell me your name little one?" Tamaki asked.

"Kirimi."

"Kirimi?" Haruhi thought picturing a fillet.

"Kirimi-chan, I'm afraid you've made a mistake," Tamaki said as he put her down. "I'm really sorry. I don't have a younger sister."

"Are you sure? You're blonde, just like me," Kirimi whimpered.  
Tamaki gasped as his cheeks turned red. His eyes watering.

"Well, that's true," he whimpered. "I give in! As of this moment, I'm your new big brother!" He twirled Kirimi around.

"I know you get carried away by emotions," Haruhi stared. "But don't you think it's irresponsible to keep empty promises?"

"Don't listen to that mean Haruhi! I'm not irresponsible! Come with me and I'll look after you!"

"What should we do Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"We should probably try to find out if she actually has a brother at this school," Kyoya said. Tamaki put Kirimi down.

_"Kirimi~" _a voice cooed from the darkness. _"Kirimi~"_

Everyone turned around towards the door. Suddenly an attractive blonde haired boy with blue eyes poked his head through the door.

"Hey uh, who the hell are you?" the twins asked.

"He looks like a foreigner," Honey-senpai said.

"What's up with that?" Haruhi asked. "Why does the door look different all of a sudden?"

"Oh Kirimi," the boy said as he moved away from the door.

"Master," a bald man with dark blue eyes said, wearing a suit.

"You forgot your cloak," a woman said with brown hair and brown eyes said, wearing a purple Victorian dress.  
The two then put a dark cloak around the boy and spun him around. Once he'd regained his balance his hair was darker and he had a yellow cat puppet.

"Nekozawa-senpai?!" the twins, Haruhi, Rin and Tamaki asked in disbelief.

"Master Umehito is terribly vulnerable to any kind of bright light," Kuretake said. She was the Nekozawa family maid. "For that reason, if he doesn't trap himself in black he will fall victim to the brightness of the outside world and undoubtedly collapse. And just to be comfortable, he even has to cover his beautiful blonde hair with a dark wig!" She then twirled away, being dramatic in every way possible.

"And on the other hand, his sister, Mistress Kirimi is afraid of dark, dimly lit places," Kadomatsu said. He was the Nekozawa family secretary.

"So this little girl is Nekozawa-senpai's younger sister?" Haruhi asked, pointing to Kirimi who was hugging Tamaki.

"You are quite insightful. Yes, that would be correct sir." Tamaki then placed Kirimi on the ground as she blushed.

"So, this little girl's name is Kirimi Nekozawa?" Rin asked.

"You are quite right young lady."

…

"Kirimi, so this is where you've been hiding?" Nekozawa asked as he did a very creepy laugh. Kirimi's eyes stared watering.

"Brother! Save me from the monster!" She jumped into Tamaki's arms. Rin winced. She'd just called her brother a monster, though without realising it.

"Please, don't be scared. I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Beelzenef. The Nekozawa family has worshiped cats for generations." He crept forward, getting closer to them.

"You know, I get the feeling she's not scared of the puppet," Haruhi said. "Call me crazy, but I think it's you." Kyoya nodded.

"Geez Haruhi, could you be any more blunt?" Rin asked.

"I'm not blunt," Haruhi said and Rin face palmed.

"It's probably your clothes," the twins said. "We'll help you change. Kay?" They rushed over and started pulling on his cloak.

"Don't do that! It's far too bright! I might die!"

"I know, why don't we just darken the room?" Honey-senpai asked as he grabbed the curtain and started pulling it over the windows.

"WAH! Don't do that!" Kirimi cried. Honey-senpai stopped once he heard the crying.

"Don't worry little one," Tamaki said, trying to reassure her.

"By the looks of it, someone's unhappy," Kyoya said.

"It's a tragedy that these two siblings are polar opposites," Kuretake said. "As of this, they've become known as the Nekozawa family's Romeo and Juliet."

"But Romeo and Juliet weren't brother and sister," Haruhi said. "I think they're situation was a little different."

"And plus, that ended terribly for everyone," Rin said.

"Oh I'm well aware of that. To be honest, it's just something I came up with on the fly. Pretty impressive huh? I thought it might make the story more dramatic!"

"Oh, I see," Haruhi muttered.

"We were sent by the Master's family, to get our beloved Mistress Kirimi back home safely," Kadomatsu said, bowing.

"Is the rest of the family-" Hikaru started.

"As out of touch as the three of you?" Kaoru finished.

"How dare you say such a terrible thing?! The Nekozawa's are a distinguished family! They're descendants of the Tokarev dynasty of Russia!" Kuretake screamed, grabbing onto Nekozawa.

"Tokarev huh?" Kyoya asked as the host club tilted their heads.

"Isn't that a type of gun?" Rin asked in disbelief.

"Wait, you mean Romanov, right?" Tamaki asked.

"There's a legend that says once every few hundred years, a Nekozawa child is born. A child who is destined to be possessed by the darkness exactly like our Master Umehito. That legend may or may not be true."

"That seems a bit indecisive," Rin said.

"What do you mean it may or may not be true?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Is it or isn't it?" the twins asked.

"Mistress Kirimi fell in love with the handsome fairy tale older brother she'd seen in portraits. However, as a result of his condition the Master is unable to go near his sister, without being shrouded in black. Once she learned her brother was enrolled in a high school here, she decided to go looking for him. That's what bought her to your host club. We've tried to keep her comforted by reading her bedtime stories about princely characters like her brother.

"But we ran out of stories. So recently, we decided to start reading her Shoujo Manga that had princely characters in them. And I'm afraid she's become completely addicted."

"Shoujo Manga?" Haruhi asked.

_"There's debauchery here. Yay! There's debauchery here, isn't there?!"_

"I see. So that's where it came from," the twins said.

"I never thought reading could corrupt a child like that," Rin said.

"Is there really debauchery in Shoujo Manga?" Haruhi asked.

"But Sashimi-chan is so young."

"Sashimi-chan? What the hell Haruhi?" Rin asked.

"Not Sashimi," Kaoru said.

"It's Kirimi," Nekozawa said with his puppet Beelzenef.

"So Kirimi-chan doesn't know you're her real older brother Nekozawa-senpai?" she asked and Nekozawa gasped. He then lied on the ground, crying dramatically.

"Yes, we've talked to her but she refuses to believe us."

"That's so sad," Honey-senpai said, rubbing his eyes. "No wonder Neko-chan is so upset."

"It's painful," Nekozawa said. "So that's why…every night I offer prayers…in hopes that one day…Kirimi will come to embrace…the darkness…"

"I think you've got it backwards buddy," the twins said.

"You should try and get accustomed to the light," Hikaru said.

"What are you trying to do to your sister?" Kaoru asked.

"Come along Mistress Kirimi," Kadomatsu said.

"It's time to go home," Kuretake said.

"WAHHH! I'M NOT GOING WITH YOU! I DON'T WANNA GO HOME! I WANNA STAY WITH MY BIG BROTHER!" Nekozawa gasped, trying to hide his emotions.

"Nekozawa-senpai?" Tamaki asked. Kirimi cried into his shoulder.

"Don't worry about me Suoh," Nekozawa said. She turned around. "All I want is for my sister to be happy. Make sure, she gets the love she deserves!" He then ran out of the room.

"Wait a minute, senpai!" Tamaki called.

"Hold on Nekozawa!" Rin called out as the door slammed.

"Sibling relations are a problem in any family," Kyoya said. Tamaki and Rin looked at him.

"Even so, I'm kinda jealous," Haruhi said. "I grew up an only child so I can't really relate. But I can't imagine how tough it must be to have a sibling so different from you that you can't even spend time with them." Rin lowered her head.

Tamaki sighed as he lowered Kirimi down onto the ground.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "Tell me big brother."

"I'm sorry Kirimi-chan. But I'm not the big brother you've been looking for. Don't worry, he's little out there. Believe it or not, you have a big brother who's more handsome than I am. And I promise you, he's a real prince." Kirimi gasped as she blushed.

"But senpai," Haruhi started.

"Once she stepped forth into this room, Kirimi-chan became a guest of the host club. And, it's our job, to make all our guests happy. It's an absolute tragedy to see a brother and sister at odds this way. We have to do something to help them. Starting now, 'Operation, Change Nekozawa-senpai into the princely character of Kirimi-chan's dreams' is underway!"

"Are you serious?" the twins asked.

"But sir," Kadomatsu said.

"You want to change Umehito from a prince of darkness to a prince of light? I don't even know if that's possible."

"Senpai! Quit getting carried away by your emotions! Don't make promises you can't keep!" Haruhi yelled. Tamaki smirked.

"Oh yee of little faith. Have you forgotten that we have an expert on our side? Someone who knows the importance of changing characters."

"You don't think-" Hikaru started.

"He's talking about-" Kaoru said.

Suddenly the sound of Renge's insane laughter filled the room as the powerful motor started and she was lifted through the floor and into the room on her pedestal.

"Yep. Sure enough," the twins said. Once Renge had finished laughing she smiled and did a little pose. Everything was silent.

…

"I'm sorry guys, but I have to leave," Rin said, her head still down, her bangs covering her eyes.

"What's wrong Rin-chan?" Honey-senpai asked.

"N-Nothing, I just have to…go," she said before she bolted out the room, trying to hide her tears from them.

"Wait! Rin!" Hikaru called but Kaoru grabbed his hand.

"Just let her go," he whispered and Hikaru turned around.

"What's with her?" Renge asked annoyed.

"Leave her alone Renge," Tamaki said. "She's got a lot to deal with." Haruhi looked at the door, a worried look on her face.

…

Rin ran through the halls until she ran out of breath. She landed right next to a pillar and leant against it. She slid down as the tears started rolling down her face.

"Of course. Another pair of siblings have to go through torture," she muttered, not believing how much of a coincidence it was. She suddenly heard footsteps coming towards her and she gasped. She tried to hide her face and quiet her sobs.

"Excuse me young lady, is everything alright?" a boy asked as he stood in front of her. She wiped her eyes quickly before looking up. The boy had blonde styled hair and brown eyes.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she said.

"Yeah, I can tell," he said jokingly. She glared. He then sat down next to her. "Seriously, you alright?"

"Yeah, just, remembering painful memories."

"Oh, I know what that's like. What about, if you don't mind me asking." She smiled. He reminded her so much of her brother.

"My brother," she said.

"Is he…?"

"No, he's not dead. He just left the country, without saying goodbye. But, he said he's coming back soon."

"Well, maybe he's already here," he said with a smirk.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked.

"Rin. It's me." She gasped, not moving.

"R-Ren?" she asked, her eyes starting to water again.

"The one and only," he said gently and she smiled.

She grabbed onto him, almost hugging the life out of him. He gasped, catching his breath before hugging her back, smiling into her hair. "You came back after all," she whispered.

"Of course I did," he whispered back.

"I thought I'd never see you again."

"Nothing can keep us apart. Plus, America was boring." She giggled as she sighed, all her worries flying off her shoulders. "Now come on, wipe those tears and let's get that big smile back on your face," he said as he wiped her tear stained cheeks. Her goofy smile came back and he grinned. "There's the sister I know," he said as he helped her stand.

"Wait, where will you be staying?" Rin asked.

"With you? Why?" Ren asked.

"Well, I sorta, got kicked out of the house."

"WHAT?!"

"But don't worry, I'm living with some friends from my class."

"Well, I guess I'm rooming with them as well. Sadly though, I have to go. The school only let me in for a few minutes."

"B-But I don't want you to leave."

"Don't worry, I'll see you again after school."

"Wait, I'll write the address for you," she said as she quickly searched for a pen and paper. Ren smirked as he handed her a little ripped bit of paper and his trademark pen.

"I knew you'd forget." She smirked as she took it off him and started writing the twins' address. He took it off her once she finished and shoved it into his pocket.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tonight," she said.

"Yeah, you will," he said as he kissed her forehead and smiled.

…

It was a few minutes past three and the host club was closed. It was bright in Science Room #3, right before the curtains closed and the room was darkened. A candelabra was the only light in the room.

"Your golden locks glow in the candlelight," Nekozawa said, his cloak left on a chair at the back of the room. "Your skin like ivory. Your smile mysterious as a flower illuminated by the moonlight. Such beauty. It's as if…you're a cursed wax doll…shrouded in darkness and filled with malevolence!" He was smacked with a fan.

"NO WAY! YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG YOU NUMB SKULL!" Renge screamed as Nekozawa fell to the ground. Renge's hair suddenly became snakes and she became like Medusa. "WHO TOLD YOU TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!? HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE OCCULT TERMS!"

"I'm really sorry, but my vocabulary is a bit limited without those words," Nekozawa said, shaking from either fear or nerves.

"You're not allowed to talk back to me either! You got that? A princely character would not make up some petty excuse like that!" She smacked him repeatedly with the fan. "However, it's okay to have a dark side, some girls like that. Cute brooding characters go well with young girls, however, referencing anything to the occult is out of the question. Mori-senpai, go ahead and add that to the board." Mori-senpai nodded.

"Wax…Doll," he said as he wrote it down.

…

"Looks like Renge's really on top of things," Kyoya said.

"Yeah. She's on a roll," Honey-senpai said.

"But I don't think the lines she's feeding him are appropriate to use on his sister," Hikaru said.

"I'm pretty sure his sister is not some teenage girl _and_ is not attracted to him" Rin said, crossing her arms.

"You sure you're alright?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she said smiling. He put his arm around her chair and she put her head against his shoulder.

"You just gonna sit and watch boss?" Kaoru asked.

"Of course, I don't wanna end up with a curse on me, again, " Tamaki said. Renge then put a smile on her face.

…

"Okay! It seems you've memorized most of your character lines. I think it's about time we moved on. Are you ready senpai?"

"Oh please no," Nekozawa gasped, his voice distressed and terrified. "It's too soon. I can't handle it yet!"

"Evil…BEAM!" Renge shouted as she shone a torch at him. He screamed out in pain as he faced away from it.

"DON'T LET A SIMPLE FLASHLIGHT GET THE BEST OF YOU! WORK UP YOUR NERVE! IT'S NOT PHYSICALLY AFFECTING YOU! SO THAT MEANS IT MUST BE PSYCHOLOGICAL! EVEN EDGAR WAS ABLE TO FACE THE CROSS ONCE HE GAINED THE COURAGE!"

"And I thought you rejected the occult."

"Of course, fiction is good. Fashion is not."

"Oh, is that so," Tamaki said.

"Don't judge him," Hikaru said.

"You're the one always wearing weird cosplay," Kaoru said.

"Don't believe her Nekozawa," Rin said. Renge glared.

"You've got to put your heart in the delivery of these lines. You have to imagine that you're talking to Kirimi-chan."

"That's easy for you to say. But that doesn't look anything like her." The substitute Kirimi was Tamaki's brown bear with a blonde wig and a pink sailor outfit.

"WOULD YOU QUIT COMPLAINING? Look at her through the eyes of your heart," Renge said as she picked up the bear. "THE EYES OF YOUR HEART!"

"That's right. Remember why you're doing this," Tamaki said. "It's all for Kirimi-chan's sake. Just give it a shot. It will look like her if you use your imagination."

…

The twins got an idea. "Are you thinking what we're thinking?" they asked Rin.

"Of course I am," she said smirking as they left.

…

Nekozawa sighed as he looked at the bear in front of him.

"Here ya go boss," the twins said. Tamaki turned around.

"We got this one ready just for you," Hikaru said.

"We think you should go ahead and confess your love to this Haruhi doll," Kaoru said.

"Wait, this doll, is supposed to be, Haruhi?" Tamaki asked.

"You should teach him, by example."

"Come on Tamaki, it will look like her if you use your imagination," Rin said smirking as she grabbed him by the shoulders. Tamaki closed his eyes.

"Haruhi…I," he started. He then used his 'mind power'.

_"Yes senpai?" Haruhi asked, sitting on the ground blushing in her pink ruffled bathing suit. _

"Excuse me," Haruhi said and Tamaki gasped.

"Haruhi, you're…the real one," he said, still holding the mannequin. "But…when did you get here." He then chucked it across the room, trying to hide it from her.

"Kirimi came back to the club room looking for you. If you've got time to do disgusting things like this, surely you can spare some time to hang out with her for a while!"

"Wah? Disgusting?!" He then went into the corner. The twins then burst out into laughter, Rin trying to hide hers.

"Why don't you hang out with her Haruhi?" Kyoya asked. "What's the matter, don't like children?"

"No, it's not like I don't like them or anything."

…

_"Read more Bookworm!" Kirimi yelled._

_"I've finally made all these men my love slaves," Haruhi read, clearly annoyed and ticked off. "Oh my! Who should I have come entertain me this evening?"_

_…_

"She's made me read about 50 volumes of Shoujo Manga to her over the whole day and they really are full of debauchery and reverse harems."

"Big brother?" Kirimi's voice quietly called out. She looked around before her lip started trembling. "This room is dark and scary."  
She then started crying into her hands.

"Oh Kirimi-chan, I asked you to wait for me in the other room," Haruhi said as she rushed over, stroking the girl's hair.

"What's wrong little one?" Tamaki asked as he walked over. "There, there now. See, there's nothing to be afraid of." He had lifted her off the ground and taken her out in the bright hallway. He spun her around as she laughed and giggled.

Nekozawa lowered his head, listening to his sister being happy with someone else as her brother. He suddenly lifted his head with a determined look on his face.

The host club was watching Tamaki twirl the girl around, a smile on all their faces. Renge's voice though caught their attention.

"Senpai?" she asked Nekozawa who held the torch in his hand.

"I'm a handsome princely big brother. I'm a handsome princely big brother. I'm a handsome princely big brother. I'm a handsome princely big brother. I'm a handsome princely big brother. I'm a handsome princely big brother. I'm a handsome princely big brother, AND I'M NOT AFRAID OF THIS FLASHLIGHT! SELF EVIL BEAM!" he screamed as he shone the light in his face.

"He did it!" Honey-senpai said. Mori-senpai applauded.

"Nekozawa-senpai has come a long way," Renge said. "He's able to shine a flashlight right in his own face."

"Bravo senpai, bravo," the twins said, pulling on a party popper.

"Well done Nekozawa," Rin said with a smile.

"Good job, I'm impressed," Haruhi said clapping.

"You did it! Your sister's going to be so proud," Tamaki said.

"Look there Kirimi-chan, that gentlemen is your real big brother." Kirimi stared in shock at Nekozawa. He seemed to sparkle.

…

_"Big brother!" Kirimi said as she jumped onto him for a hug._

_"Kirimi," Nekozawa said as he hugged her._

_…_

"You're just complicating things," Haruhi said to Tamaki. "Could you please cut it out? It's not going to help anyway."

That whole scene was of course, Tamaki's imagination.

"…Huh? Did you just say something?"

"Never mind."

"Kirimi," Nekozawa said as he turned around. Kirimi gasped. His face looked really creepy with the torch shining on his face. She was in shock. She was so terrified that she couldn't move.

"WAHHHHH!" she cried as she ran away.

"Kirimi! Wait!" he called, dropping the torch. But it was too late.

"So I guess shining the flashlight in his face-" Hikaru said.

"Scared her and sent her running," Kaoru finished.

"Oh Kirimi," Nekozawa sighed before dropping to the floor, crying.

"Nekozawa-senpai?" Tamaki asked.

"I've had enough. Even if I continue your special training, there's no guarantee that Kirimi will ever accept me. I think she'd be better off, if you acted as her brother in my stead, Suoh."

"But that's ridiculous," Tamaki said. "You're the big brother she's looking for." Nekozawa lifted his head. "If you really care about her, you'll do whatever it takes to win her over."

"You can't want to give up already," Rin said walking over. "She's your little sister, not Tamaki's." Nekozawa sat in silence.

…

The twins stared out the window as the curtains opened.

"Hey look, Kirimi-chan hasn't made it out of the courtyard," Hikaru said as Rin walked to the window.

"There's something down there with her," Kaoru said.

"It's just a cat," she said. Nekozawa gasped and turned around.

"You're family sure does love cats," Hikaru said.

"Even strays warm up to you guys," Kaoru said.

"What did you say?" Nekozawa asked as he ran to the window. "They're revered by our family, it's true. But Kirimi wouldn't participate in something as occult as befriending a stray cat. Kirimi is afraid of animals and cats are the creatures she fears the most." The host club stared at him in shock.

…

The cat's eyes narrowed at her with an evil glint and she gasped, a worried and terrified look in her eyes.

…

Nekozawa gasped before closing his eyes. "Kirimi!" he shouted as he jumped out the window, smashing the glass which scattered across the ground below him.

"Nekozawa-senpai!" Tamaki called.

"But he's not wearing his black cloak," Haruhi said.

"That's not the problem here!" Rin shouted.

…

Kirimi gasped as her eyes quickly started watering.

"Someone help," she squeaked out, trembling.

"Kirimi!" he called and she gasped, turning around. She watched as Nekozawa ran straight towards her. "KIRIMI!" He then leaped towards her and her eyes widened. She remembered staring at the giant picture of her brother in the house and her eyes filled with tears, happy tears.

"BIG BROTHER!" She screamed as she jumped into his awaiting arms, the two siblings in a loving embrace.

…

"Will ya look at that," Honey-senpai said.

"That is so cute," Rin said with a blush on her face.

"This is all thanks to my special training," Renge said.

…

"There's no need to be afraid Kirimi," he said. "I promise it won't come anywhere near you, alright?" He placed her on the ground. He then put his puppet Beelzenef onto his hand. "This is Beelzenef. With this puppet's power, I can…curse…" he then collapsed onto the ground, convulsing in the sunlight. The host club watched as the last bit of glass fell to the floor. Kirimi stared as her brother finally lied still on the ground.

The cat yawned as he stood up and walked away.

…

"So, what are we going to do about that broken window?" Rin asked as the three sat in the limo on the way home.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Hikaru said.

"Tamaki's paying for that," Kaoru said.

"Well, that works well for me," she said as they stopped. They stepped out of the limo, only to hear a male scream from inside.

The three looked at each other before the door slammed open.

"Come on! I have so many outfits for you!" they heard Yuzuha yell as a boy ran out the door. "Come back!"

"Help me!" he screamed as he ran behind Rin.

"Who the hell are you?" the twins asked.

"And why are you touching my girlfriend?"

"Your girlfriend?" the boy asked.

"Guys! Calm down. Hikaru, this is my older brother Ren. Ren, this is my boyfriend Hikaru," Rin said as she introduced them.

"Oh…hi," Hikaru said nervous.

"…Hi," Ren said back. His eyes then widened.

"There you are. You're not getting away from me," Yuzuha said with a giant smile on her face. She then gasped. "Well isn't this great! Both siblings are here together! It's time for photos!" She then grabbed the two by their arms and dragged them back into the house. The twins looked at each other before sighing.

"Yeah mother, we're home too," they said as they walked in.

…

The two siblings came out wearing outfits from Yuzuha fashion line.

Rin had a creamy pink strapless dress with ruffles at the bottom with white heels and her hair hung over her shoulder.

Ren had on a black leather jacket, a grey t-shirt, black jeans, black shoes with a grey scarf. The twins gasped.

"You too look amazing!" she said as she touched them on the shoulders. Ren looked at Rin, nervous.

"What's she gonna do with us?" he whispered.

"She's gonna make us model," Rin whispered back.

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Set them up next to the white screen. It's time to model!" Yuzuha then walked out the room. The twins then walked forward and pushed them towards the door.

"You can still get us out of this," Rin whispered.

"Please, help us," Ren whispered.

"Sorry, wish we could," Hikaru said smirking.

"But we don't want to upset our mother," Kaoru said.

The two gulped as they were pushed out of the room.

…

They were finally done with the torture. Rin and Ren both sighed as they fell onto the bed. They had changed and were now in their pyjamas which were both singlets and shorts.

"I hate this family," Ren muttered and Rin giggled.

"Of course you do," she said back.

"You know, you never told me that you were living with teenage boys."

"Well I'm sorry, you didn't give me enough time."

"You know how I feel about boys."

"I know, ever since Kyoya you can't trust any boys around me."

"Yes, and yet I find out that you've already moved on."

"Your point?"

"…Even though I may disagree, I'm proud that you moved on."

"You're proud of me?"

"Of course, I don't want you swallowing yourself in self-pity over some guy that isn't even worth you."

"…Thank you," she whispered as she hugged him.

"No problem, now get some sleep," he said as he left the room.

* * *

**SEVERAL DAYS LATER AT THE HOST CLUB**

"Ren, how long has it been?" Tamaki asked.

"Too long, so, this is the infamous host club," Ren said as he walked around the third music room.

"But of course, Rin must have told you about how I'm the king of this host club!"

"Uh no, she didn't." Tamaki went into the corner.

"So, you're Rin's older brother?" Haruhi asked and he nodded.

"That's so cool! You two look so much alike," Honey-senpai said.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai stated.

"R-Really? Thanks," Ren said nervous.

Suddenly the powerful motor started and Renge's insane laughter rang through the room. She came out of the floor and gasped with stars in her eyes as she saw Ren. She then pointed to him and he flinched. "You there!" she commanded.

"Me?" Ren asked.

"You must join the host club! At once!" Renge said.

"What?" all the host club said.

"W-Why?" he asked.

"Renge, he's shy around girls," Rin said and Ren nodded, blushing.

"Exactly! You are an attractive young man that girls in this school can fantasize over. And plus, a lot of girls are attracted to mature older men, especially if they are shy around girls. So, he'd be 'The Shy Type', without a doubt."

"The Shy Type?"

"Renge, this isn't necessary," Rin said.

"No wait Rin, she might be right," Tamaki said.

"Excuse me?" the two siblings said.

"There are still a lot of girls who refuse to go to the host club. If we add another member, one much older and more mature, then we would get more customers and earn more money," Kyoya said. "So, what do you say Hayashi?" Everyone's eyes went on Ren.

"W-Well, I have nothing else to do." They all smiled, even though Rin was slightly annoyed that he was forced into it.

…

Suddenly the door opened and in poked Nekozawa wearing his black cloak and wig once again. He had his yellow cat puppet Beelzenef on his hand yet again. He then walked away, lurking down the hallways of Ouran once again.

"Nekozawa-senpai?" Tamaki asked.

"He probably got more sun than he ever had in that one day," Hikaru said and Kaoru nodded.

"That may be true, but he went running for the darkness again," Honey-senpai said, holding onto Usu-chan.

"Yeah, we should have known," Kaoru said. "What a waste. He's back to wearing all those black clothes again."

"Is anyone gonna fill me in?" Ren whispered.

"Eventually," Rin whispered.

"But even so," Haruhi started. "It did do some good."

Kirimi giggled as she sat down on a chair. It was placed in front of the portrait of her princely older brother. She had paint in her hands and was painting something onto the picture. Nekozawa was hiding behind the wall, poking his head out. Kirimi noticed something in the corner of her eye and turned around.

Nekozawa quickly hid behind the wall, starting to walk away. Kirimi stared for a moment before getting up and going to investigate. She saw that he was slowly walking away and took the chance. She quickly caught up to him and grabbed onto his cloak. He gasped as he turned around. The two stared at each other in silence. Neither of them knew what to say to each other.

Kirimi broke the silence by giggling, her face blushing as she smiled. Nekozawa stared for a second before he smiled himself, blushing as Beelzenef became flustered.

…

"Now I know that if a monster ever appears, I will have a princely big brother to protect me. Even if it means dashing out into the sunlight, the one thing he fears most of all."

…

The portrait of her princely big brother now had Beelzenef over his hand, painted on by his cute little sister.

* * *

**Authors Note: **This episode was so cute! I believe that anybody who watched that episode who had a sibling was touched. I sure was. So were quite a few people I know.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Honey's Three Bitter Days!**

Rin entered the room as she saw Haruhi running towards her.

"Rin! Help me!" Haruhi called out.

"Why? What's happened now?"

"Oh Haruhi~!" she heard the twins call from across the room.

"Oh, now I understand. Yeah, you better run." Haruhi glared at her before she grabbed her hand and dragged her around the room.

"So, is this normal?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, more or less," Kyoya said. Ren glared.

"I wasn't talking to you," he said.

"You asked a question, so I answered." Ren growled.

"You are such an ass." Kyoya rolled his eyes. Clearly, Ren still hadn't forgiven Kyoya for what he'd done to his little sister.

"Ren! Help me!" Rin screamed.

"I would but, it's too funny," Ren said, trying not to laugh. All too quickly though, the twins caught Rin and Haruhi.

"What do you think you're doing Haruhi?" Hikaru asked.

"Why are you dragging Rin around the room?" Kaoru asked.

"Because you were gonna put me in ridiculous outfits!"

"That's no excuse," they said in unison.

"But anyway, now that you're here Rin," Hikaru smirked.

"You can join in on the fun," Kaoru smirked. The two girls looked at each other, gulping. They tried running again, but the twins grabbed them. Rin was grabbed by the waist by Hikaru and lifted into the air. Kaoru grabbed Haruhi by her shoulders. Because of this, Haruhi struggled away and bumped into the front of Kaoru with her back, causing him to smash into the table behind him.

The first years gasped as they saw what had happened. Now on the table was Usu-chan, covered in tea.

"Now you've done it!" Tamaki called as he ran over.

"It's done alright," Hikaru said.

"But it's not our fault," Kaoru said.

"What?! You're the idiots that bumped into it right?"

"Only because these two were running away," Hikaru said.

"We were trying to catch them so we could have some fun and dress them up in cosplay," Kaoru said. By now, the two were hugging the death out of the two.

"So what? We cosplay all the time!"

"But we weren't going with the usual host club costumes," Hikaru said with a gigantic smile on his face.

"We were gonna dress them up in bunny cosplay, Haruhi being disguised as a girl," Kaoru said, doing the same as his brother.

"Disguised...as a girl?" Haruhi said.

"She is a girl," Rin said.

"You'd like to see it too, wouldn't you, boss?" the twins said.

Tamaki then gasped as he blushed, imaging it. He imagined Haruhi in a pink leotard with black fishnet stockings, a pink bowtie, bunny ears, pink high heels and a fluffy tail.

He then imagined Rin a black leotard with black fishnet stockings, white bowtie, bunny ears, black high heels and a fluffy tail. His face then turned completely red and Ren glared.

_There is no way in hell that's happening!_

"I defiantly want to see that," Tamaki mumbled. "WHAT AM I THINKING?! THERE'S NO TIME FOR THINGS LIKE THAT! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP TO! YOU'RE TRYING TO DISTRACT ME FROM THE MESS YOU'VE MADE! GET AWAY FROM HARUHI YOU PUNKS! LEAVE MY DARLING RIN ALONE!"

"No way," the twins said.

"Let me go!" Haruhi yelled squirming.

"This is ridiculous," Rin said. Hikaru smirked.

"What's ridiculous?" he asked as he kissed her neck softly. Tamaki's face suddenly flamed through anger.

"GET OFF OF MY DARLING DAUGHTER YOU PUNK!"

"Excuse me, we don't have any guests at the moment and I don't care if you make a racket," Kyoya started, typing on his laptop.

_"YOU SHOULD NOT TOUCH HER LIKE THAT!"_

"But please, be careful."

_"SHE'S YOUR PRECIOUS AND INNOCENT SISTER!"_

"You don't wanna wake Honey-senpai."

_"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!"_

Tamaki stopped shaking Hikaru as he froze. The twins did the same. Ren blinked.

"…What happened to them?" he asked, unsure of what was going on.

"Oh, they're frozen right now," Rin said.

"They can freeze?"

"We're in an anime, they can do whatever they want."

…

Haruhi then looked over to where the sleeping Honey-senpai was. He was asleep on the couch with a pillow and a pink blanket. There was a whole blue tent thing over the top, creating the darkness so he could sleep in the always bright room.

"He's a third year who still takes afternoon naps?" Haruhi asked as she walked over. "Well, we're gonna have to tell him about the bunny at some point. Let's just wake him up and apologize."

"No wait! Don't get any closer to Honey-senpai!" the twins and Tamaki shouted while whispering.

"Come back, it's safer over here," Tamaki whispered. The three were hidden behind the couch.

"What are you talking about?" Haruhi asked.

"Honey-senpai wakes up in a very bad mood after napping."

"Huh?"

"Now this may be just a rumour, but the Haninozuka family once visited as US military base to give combat training. Supposedly, Honey-senpai slept through most of it because of his jet lag."

…

_"Hey master, are you doing okay?" a soldier asked, shaking him._

_…_

"Then a solider came in and carelessly tried to wake him up as he'd been sleeping for so long."

…

_Honey-senpai then stirred as he slowly sat up.__"I'm…still…sleepy," he said with a red aura around him._

_"OH DEAR GOD!" the soldier screamed an explosion went off. The smoke was pink and in the shape of Usu-chan._

_…_

"On that day, he wiped out two entire platoons of soldiers. But not just any soldiers. Global ranks. And I've heard that we've had diplomatic issues with America ever since that day."

"How terrifying!" the twins said.

"And now we've got a bigger problem. Usu-chan was hand made for him by his deceased grandmother. You've seen the way he carries it around. That little bunny is his prized possession. I can't imagine how he's going to react when he wakes up, and sees that his precious Usu-chan is ruined."

They then imagined how the school was going to blow up the exact same way as the military base did.

"HE'S GOING TO DO TO US WHAT HE DID TO THOSE TWO PLATOONS!" the three screamed out in panic.

…

"They actually believe that?" Ren whispered.

"Of course they do," Rin said in monotone.

"How are you dating one of them again?"

"…I don't know. Not for smarts, that's how."

…

"You're exaggerating. There's no way for that to be true. I mean, come on," Haruhi said and the three stopped.

"It is! And there's more evidence that Honey-senpai has an evil side to him. His blood type is AB, how do you like that?"

"Yeah, so what?" Haruhi asked.

"But Haruhi, that means he's the same blood type as Kyoya!" Haruhi then gasped dramatically, finally understanding. The four then turned around nervously, looking at Kyoya who was still typing away on his laptop.

"What's the matter? You have a problem with my blood type?"

"And what does that matter? My blood type is AB too," Rin said.

"And mine," Ren said.

"Well that explains why you two hate being woken up," the twins said.

Haruhi then gasped as she turned to face the reader(s).

"Oh, those of you reading this with type AB, please don't take any offense to this."

Suddenly, Honey-senpai rolled over, making a noise and the four gasped, terrified.

"This is bad," Tamaki said. "We have to do something quick before he wakes up. Hikaru, Kaoru." He then clicked.

"Sir!" they whispered.

"Go get your folk's Cessna. Fly to Osorezan and bring back a medium. We'll channel his grandmother and she can guide us through it. We can make a new Usu-chan for Honey-senpai." He then pulled out a hand drawn map from his pocket. "Take this map of the Aomori Prefecture with you. And don't forget to bring back apple juice, apple jam and the Nebuta souvenir dolls."

"But we don't have that much time," Hikaru said.

"We're used to your crazy ideas," Kaoru started. "But you should come up with something more practical."

"Why don't you just take him to the dry cleaners?" Rin asked.

"Great idea Rin! In the meantime, Haruhi, you're gonna have to wear the bunny suit," Tamaki said, holding up an Usu-chan costume.

"Yeah, good idea boss," the twins said as Rin nodded, glad it wasn't her.

"Forget about it," Haruhi stated. "I'M NOT GOING TO WEAR THAT STUPID BUNNY SUIT! IT'S NOT GONNA WORK! HE'LL KNOW IT'S ME!"

"No he won't! He won't be able to tell the difference if he's just waking up from a nap!" Tamaki screamed, holding onto her so she couldn't escape.

"WELL THEN, WHY DON'T YOU WEAR IT SENPAI?"

"It won't be as cute if I wear it!"

"YES IT WILL!"

"It's the least you could do!" Tamaki yelled.

"THEN MAKE RIN WEAR IT!"

"Hell no! You are not dragging me into this!"

"LET GO OF ME WOULD YA?!"

"Come on! You have to step in!"

"SENPAI! COME ON! STOP IT!" Honey-senpai than sat up.

"AH! He's awake! We'll have to use a substitute! We've got no choice!"

…

Honey-senpai rubbed his eyes as he then lowered his hand. He stared down at the teddy _bear_in front of him. _Tamaki's_ teddy bear. It was brown and looked nothing like the pink Usu-chan that Honey-senpai loved so much. The twins and Tamaki shuddered as they hid behind the couch. Honey-senpai then picked up the bear by its arm and slammed it into the ground causing Tamaki to scream.

"AHHH! NOT MY TEDDY BEAR!"

"HE'S GONNA COME AFTER US NEXT!" Hikaru screamed.

"AH! HE JUST SPOTTED HIS BUNNY RABBIT!" Kaoru screamed.

They watched in silence as Honey-senpai walked over to the table where Usu-chan lay, covered in tea. He lifted Usu-chan up. He then looked over at the cowering three.

"Who's responsible for this?" he asked coldly. "Who got Usu-chan dirty?" The three screamed.

"Someone help! Mori-senpai! Don't let him hurt us!"

"He wanted tea. So Usu-chan decided to have a drink." Everything went silent.

"I see. So that's why his face is all dirty, isn't it?" Honey-senpai had gone back to his original self. "Hey, do you think he wants some cake too?" He held Usu-chan up to Mori-senpai who still had an emotionless face.

"I'm sure he does Honey-senpai," Rin said smiling.

"Let's get him some cake then!" He ran off, taking Rin and Mori-senpai's hands and dragging them along. The twins and Tamaki though were on their hands and knees, crying and groaning. Haruhi just stared at them, face palming.

"I wish I had some popcorn right now," Ren said smirking causing Haruhi to laugh.

…

"Honey? How do you like to have chocolate?"

"Moose? Bonbons? Wait, I bet chocolate cake is your favourite!"

"Um, let's see, well, I like them all," Honey-senpai said. "I love anything chocolate, Usu-chan, and all of you ladies."

"He's so cute!" They all squealed and blushed.

…

"Mitskuni Haninozuka. Otherwise known as Honey-senpai. Age seventeen. Ouran Academy, third year, Class A and a member of the Host Club. His favourite things include cake, chocolate and bunnies. His famous words and Boy Lolita characteristics."

…

"That was a close call earlier, huh senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"No kidding. I'm glad we settled that Usu-chan incident without any violence," Tamaki said smiling.

…

"Honey-senpai's catchphrases include, 'I love candy' and 'I love cute things'. And while some find these charming, I'm not sold on his cutesy boy image. It's not exciting enough. It's feels like something's missing in his character arch!" That was of course, Renge doing the narration with a microphone.

…

Haruhi walked over to the table, holding a tray of tea cups.

"Uh Honey-senpai. You can't keep eating nothing but sweets all the time. You know, you're gonna end up with a cavity."

"Oh don't worry. I always brush my teeth." He then placed a slice of cake in his mouth. When he took a bit, he gasped in pain. All the members stopped what they were doing and turned around.

"Honey-senpai?" Haruhi asked. "Is it…?" He held his cheek.

"Nah, it's nothing. Kay?" he asked sadly. The twins, Rin and Ren all rushed over. The twins grabbed Honey-senpai.

"Honey-senpai, I need to check your mouth. Okay?" Rin asked.

"NO!" Honey-senpai screamed out as he squirmed around.

"Hold still," Hikaru said.

"Honey-senpai, please, quit squirming," Kaoru said.

"There's nothing wrong! Quit messing with me Leave me alone!" Honey-senpai gasped as Mori-senpai lunged at him, grabbing his cheeks and pushing him onto the couch, lying on top of him. The girls around them squealed with delight.

"Yes! That's it! That's it!" Renge said. "That's what was missing! It's… MOE~!" she sung as she rushed over, breathing heavily. Mori-senpai roughly pushed Honey-senpai's cheeks until he couldn't take the pain and opened his mouth.

"So, is it…a cavity?" Tamaki asked.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai said as they looked at the hole in his tooth.

"It's alright. I'll be okay," Honey-senpai said with tears in his eyes. Mori-senpai turned around.

"Tamaki," he started.

"Yes, you're right. I'll take care of this." He then cleared his throat. "Until Honey-senpai gets over his cavity, I'm afraid he can't have sweets." Honey-senpai sat up and screamed. "Therefore, we'll ask you be supportive and refrain from eating snacks in the club room until this ordeal is over."

"No…No don't Takashi," Honey-senpai cried. "Please don't take my snacks away. You can't…don't do it! What will I do without them?" Mori-senpai then picked up the piece of cake and walked away. "I can handle it! Please don't take away my cake!"

"No more cake." Honey-senpai screamed as he felt like he was falling into a black hole with lightening all around him.

* * *

"And that's how it all began. One little cavity and suddenly Honey-senpai's life became a living hell."

Honey-senpai was walking down the halls of Ouran, a bandage wrapped around his head, around the swollen cheek.

"Poor Honey-senpai looks so miserable. It's a shame the host club banned snakes."

"It must be really difficult for him. I hope this doesn't seem insensitive, I know he's in pain but…"

"Awww. He's so cute!" He looked like he was wearing bunny ears.

"Mitskuni. Bag," Mori-senpai said as he walked over.

"I can carry it."

"Yes you can. Hand it over." Honey-senpai handed it over as Mori-senpai opened it. He turned it upside down and they watched as the hundreds of candy bars fell out, making a giant pile on the ground in front of them.

"I was just looking. I wasn't gonna eat them."

"Really? If you're just looking, then try this." He then handed Honey-senpai a pamphlet of half off candy. "I'll keep the real stuff." Honey-senpai's eyes started watering. Honey-senpai screamed again as he felt like he was falling into a black hole with lightening all around him.

…

"Whoa man, that was rough," the twins said.

"I can't help but feel sorry for him," Haruhi said.

"Poor Honey-senpai," Rin sighed.

"You know, I had no idea Mori-senpai could be that brutal," Hikaru said, his arm around Rin as they walked down the hall.

"You wouldn't expect it," Kaoru said. "I thought his principals kept him from doing anything to Honey-senpai."

"And to think he could get the boss to go along with him." Haruhi stopped walking as she lowered her head, thinking.

"Hey Haruhi, you coming or what?" Rin asked. Haruhi looked up and saw that the three had stopped.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

**THE HOST CLUB IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS**

"It's too bad Tamaki. I've been dying to give you some of the chocolate made by our new pâtissier. My family just hired him from France, but I can't share them with you because you're not eating sweets."

"Do not fret, my princess," Tamaki said. "For the present, I must abstain for poor Honey-senpai's sake, but eventually we'll be able to share chocolate together again." The girl turned to face him, blushing.

"The friendship you all have is absolutely beautiful."

"I believe things will work out for the best this way, my dear." He lightly grabbed her hand. "I'm sure it's delicious but, no chocolate could ever withstand the heatwave of my love. It would all melt and go to waste." The girl smiled as she blushed.

"Oh Tamaki," she said sighing dreamily.

…

"Ren, how was your trip to America?"

"It must have been hard leaving your sister."

"Y-Yeah, it was. B-But America was a n-nice experience. T-Though I would have preferred it if m-my sister was there."

"Oh wow, you really care about Rin-chan huh?"

"You're so kind and caring."

"W-Why thank you ladies," Ren stuttered and they squealed.

…

"Darling Rin, how long has it been?"

"Far too long, I've missed you three."

"Really?"

"You missed us?"

"But of course, you guys are so cute that I couldn't function probably without you. I couldn't wait to see you again." The boys blushed as they watched her cheeks reddened as she smiled. "Oh you guys, you make me blush without even trying." Their faces became bright red.

…

"Impressive boss," Hikaru said as Tamaki walked past them. "That was quite an act."

"Missing sweets aren't you?" Kaoru asked.

"Buzz off. The club's number one priority is the guests. All that matters is their happiness."

"You had better watch yourselves out there," Kyoya said. "Don't give any sweets to Honey-senpai, no matter what tricks he resorts too. Oh, and incidentally, those instructions come from Mori-senpai. This isn't my doing." He then walked off.

"So, is it just me or does he seem to be enjoying this?" Hikaru asked.

"No, he is," Rin said as she walked over.

"He's enjoying it way too much," Ren said.

"By the way, well done over there Rin," Tamaki said.

"Yeah, way to trick the customers," the twins said.

"Whatever, I'm just doing my job."  
"That doesn't sound harsh at all," Ren said smirking. Rin glared.

Haruhi was walking outside, carrying her books when she noticed something. Two people. A boy and a girl, facing each other. Upon closer inspection, she found that it was Mori-senpai and a girl with brown hair. She quickly hid behind a pillar.

"I just can't hide it any longer," the girl said. "I have to get this off my chest. I need to know what you're feelings are towards me and if you'll accept my love." Mori-senpai looked at her blankly. Haruhi stared in shock as he placed a hand in his pocket.

"Would you please?" Silence. "Unless there's someone else? Please tell me. Is there someone else who's dear to you?" Silence. The girl sighed as she lowered her head. "There is, isn't there?" Silence. The girl started crying. "I should have known." She then ran off, crying into her hands. Haruhi then sighed, thinking.

* * *

**HONEY-SENPAI'S 'GET SWEETS' STRATEGY****  
****NO. 1: USE THE CUTE**

"Look Takashi! My cavities all better now!" Honey-senpai said as he giggled, running towards him.

"You sure?" Mori-senpai asked, reading a book.

"The swelling's even gone down!"

"Has it?"

"So, do you think I could have a piece of cake? Just one? Please?"

Mori-senpai then shoved a blue popsicle into Honey-senpai's mouth, which he accidentally bit on. His cheek then swelled up again, tears in his eyes as he held his cheek, shuddering.

"You're not fully recovered yet." He then walked away.

**HONEY-SENPAI'S 'GET SWEETS' STRATEGY****  
****NO. 2: THE INDIRECT METHOD**

Honey-senpai smiled as he walked past two guests who were sitting down at the table, eating sandwiches and sipping tea. The two looked up as they saw him walking past them. He then stopped and turned to face him. They gasped, turning away.

"What are you ladies drinking?" he asked as he walked to them.

"Um, 'Dirchingly Tea'. It's really good."

"Yeah? What are you going to have to eat?"

"Uh, well, I was going to have a sandwich."

"Know what you need? Some sweets. That tea would go well with something sweet. Like, maybe some cake. Come on, what'd ya say?" The guests looked at each other nervously.

"It would be good with cake."

"It sure would." The guests then got very moody. The two then quickly stood up and ran.

"We're so sorry Honey!"

"But it's for your own good!"

"Wait!" He then started crying as he lowered his head, sighing.

**HONEY-SENPAI'S 'GET SWEETS' STRATEGY****  
****NO. 3: PULLING AT HEARTSTRINGS**

Honey-senpai gloomily walked over to Haruhi, who turned around. "Honey-senpai?" she asked as he grabbed her arm.

"Haru-chan? Am I a bad person?" He lifted his head to show his tears and trembling lip. "I just don't understand why God hates me. What have I done?" Haruhi gasped as she instantly felt sorry for him. She quickly looked around and then shushed him.

"Okay fine, but this once, got it?" she said as she rummaged through her blazer pocket. Honey-senpai quickly beamed up.

"Is it a snack?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said as she placed it in his hands. "Here." What she had just handed him, was Kyoto kelp. "It's the same colour as chocolate. Try it." He then realised that he chose the wrong person. He sighed gloomily as she walked away smiling.

**HONEY-SENPAI'S 'GET SWEETS' STRATEGY****  
****NO. 4: THE LAST RESORT**

Rin sighed as she tapped her pen against the blank sheet of paper. "God, why can't I think of anything to write?" she asked herself. She then noticed something touch her leg. She looked down and saw Honey-senpai lying on the floor, grabbing onto her leg. "Uh, Honey-senpai? Are you alright?"

"Rin-chan. Please, help me," he said crying.

"What's wrong Honey-senpai?"

"I…can't take it. Rin-chan, please, give me a sweet." She looked down at him and sighed, putting her things down.

"Honey-senpai. I'm sorry. I can't do that."

"B-But…why?"

"It's for your own good." She then stood up and tried to walk. She couldn't though, as he held her leg hostage. "Uh, could you let go?"

He hesitantly let go and fell to the floor. She picked up her pen and paper and walked away. He groaned as he lie on the floor, not moving.

* * *

**CANDY PROHIBITION ORDER, DAY 3**

Honey-senpai walked around in circles, clutching onto his Usu-chan, obviously irritated from the lack of sweets.

"Uh, is he alright?" Ren asked.

"Obviously not," Rin said. "He's just walking around in circles."

"He's gonna crack," Tamaki said.

"Would somebody please talk to him?" Kaoru asked.

"If you're so keen, why don't you?" Rin asked.

"Cause he's scaring me." A door suddenly opened.

"He's heading for the candy!" Hikaru said as he stood up.

"No need to worry, we emptied out all the sweets," Kyoya said.

"Kyoya-senpai, you seem really chipper today," Haruhi said.

"He's always chipper in dire situations," Ren said.

"There's no need to bring this up now," Rin said, trying to calm him down.

"Exactly as Hayashi said, no need to bring anything that happened in the past into this."

"Just shut up Kyoya," Ren said annoyed.

Honey-senpai opened one of the cupboard doors and stared inside, looking for some kind of sweet. Instead, he found Tamaki's brown bear staring back at him. He picked it up and then roughly chucked it onto the ground. Tamaki screamed.

"HE KEEPS DOING THAT TO MY TEDDY BEAR!" Honey-senpai then stumbled out the room and not long after, he fell to the ground in one swift motion.

"Well, there he goes," Kaoru said.

"Three days and he gives up," Hikaru said.

"Man, how sad," Rin said.

"Shows how much he loves those things," Ren said.

"Uh, Honey-senpai?" Tamaki asked as he poked him. Out of nowhere, Honey-senpai bits down on Tamaki's hand, causing him to scream out in pain. "SOMEBODY HELP ME! HE'S EATING MY ARM OFF!"

"He's reminding me of a piranha," Rin said. The others nodded.

Mori-senpai sighed as he stood up and walked over. As Mori-senpai walked over, Tamaki cries were becoming louder and more painful to listen too. Honey-senpai was a beast.

"Mitskuni. Don't take this out on other people," he said. His teeth relinquished from Tamaki's hand. Honey-senpai scrunched his face up from the comment. Tamaki rubbed his hand as he sighed with relief, tears running down his face.

"You saved me. I thought I was a goner," Tamaki said crying.

"It's disgraceful," Mori-senpai said.

"Takashi," Honey-senpai said as he turned around sharply and grabbed him. "You idiot!" he screamed as he threw him over his shoulder. The host club members gasped in shock. Mori-senpai roughly landed on his back as he skidded across the ground.

"A little bit isn't gonna hurt me! You're so mean! You're such a hard head! That's it, I hate you! I HATE YOU TAKASH!" Mori-senpai sat up, face saddened. Honey-senpai then screamed as he ran out of the room crying.

"Honey-senpai!" Tamaki called as he ran after him. The door shut behind them and the room became silent.

…

"Hey, Mori-senpai," Hikaru started.

"That was harsh. Will you be alright?" Kaoru asked. Mori-senpai then stood up and stumbled over to a table. The table gave way and he fell onto the floor again, a vase smashing on the ground.

Rin rushed over to help. Mori-senpai just sat there, replaying those four words in his head, over and over again.

"Are you okay Mori-senpai?" Rin asked.

"Oh wow senpai, looks like he really got to you," Hikaru said. "I don't know what's going on but it seems like you're self-destructing."

"Maybe Honey-senpai wouldn't hate you if you hadn't of been so hard on him in the first place," Kaoru said.

"It was on purpose," Haruhi said. The twins looked at her. "Mori-senpai, have you by any chance been acting that way because you're trying to get Honey-senpai to hate you?" Rin stood up and backed away, giving him some much needed space.

"Why would he do that?" Hikaru asked.

"It makes no sense," Kaoru said. "That would be like, the end of the world for Mori-senpai."

"Why would he do it no purpose?" they asked.

"Well maybe, because he was trying to punish himself." Mori-senpai sat in silence. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are. This is my fault."

"But what could you have done for this to be your fault?" Rin asked. "It's not like you made him get the cavity or anything."

"Mitskuni has a cavity, because I'm careless. Twice before his naptime, I forgot, to make him brush his teeth."

"But that's not really your responsibility," Hikaru said.

"He should know better," Kaoru said.

"But if Mitskuni has to get false teeth, it'll be, my fault."

"Uhhh, don't worry, that's not gonna happen," they said.

"Wow, what a pessimist," Haruhi said.

"That's rich coming from you," Rin muttered.

"That's rich coming from _you_," Ren said to Rin.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself right now, if he hadn't thrown me down."

"Because he felt at fault, Mori-senpai wanted some kind of punishment from Honey-senpai to make up for his failure," Kyoya said.

"Well," the twins started.

"While that certainly makes a nice story and everything," Hikaru said.

"It was just a little cavity," Kaoru said. "Right?"

…

Suddenly the door opened and Honey-senpai stood there. He heard footsteps as he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, there you have it, Honey-senpai," Tamaki said. "What will you do now?" Honey-senpai's eyes started watering as his lip trembled.

He then started crying as he ran towards the fallen Mori-senpai. He looked up in surprise as Honey-senpai bent down next to him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry Takashi! I promise, I won't forget to brush my teeth again! I won't forget!" Mori-senpai smiled as he grabbed onto Honey-senpai and hugged him. The rest of the members smiled as they watched the cute moment in front of them.

* * *

**SEVERAL DAYS LATER**

"A few days later, Honey-senpai recovered from his painful cavity. So the Host Club decided to lift their ban on sweets. And Honey-senpai can greedily stuff his face again once more."

…

Kyoya sighed as he stared at all the papers in front of him.  
"What's with Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked. "He looks depressed about something."

"Because Honey-senpai's back to eating snacks again," Hikaru said.

"All those sweets get expensive," Kaoru said.

"Why don't you just go buy them somewhere else for less money?" Rin asked.

"We would, but we have to keep up our standards somehow," the twins said causing Haruhi to glare.

"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Ren asked.

"No, not really."

"Trust me, they've said and done worse," Rin said.

…

"Um, excuse me," a girl said.

"Oh my, looks like we have a new guest gentlemen," Tamaki said as Mori-senpai gasped. It was the girl who confessed to him. "Are you a fan of Mori-senpai?" Haruhi gasped.

_It's that girl_, she thought.

The girl walked over to them.

"Well Mori, I understand now," she said. "I know who you feel so strongly about. And it's okay." She heard the sound of clattering and she gasped. She turned around and saw Honey-senpai with a piece of cake on his fork, putting it in his mouth.

She looked away, to the floor and then back at Mori-senpai who stared blankly back at her. She then lowered her head. "I must say I find it a little surprising that it's Honey. To think he's so special to you, I don't know, it's just so…I can't explain it. It's just so…YAY!" Suddenly she lifted her head with hearts in her eyes.

Haruhi sweat dropped at the outcome of all that. Renge's hand then tapped the girl on the shoulder who turned to look at her.

"Congratulations!" Renge said into the microphone. "You've just taken your first big step into a brand new world." The girl smiled as she nodded, looking over to Honey-senpai.

During all that, Mori-senpai had walked over to Honey-senpai with a napkin.

"Mitskuni, you've made a mess," he said as he wiped the icing off of his cheek. Honey-senpai smiled as he giggled. The girls all around them squealed with hearts all around them.

"That's right ladies! It's MOE! It's the greatest! I just can't get enough of it!" Renge screamed into the microphone.

"You know, even if this all looks and feels like a happy ending," Haruhi started. "I don't think everyone out there thinks that MOE is the best way to wrap things up."

"MOE!" the girls screamed and Rin covered her ears.

"Must you be so loud!" she cursed.

"Calm down Rin," Hikaru said as he patted her on the back.

"Oh good grief," Haruhi said.

"Why us?" Rin said.

"I hate the world," Ren muttered.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Being on holidays is giving me so much spare time, I can pretty finish anything in a day. I mean, I finished the four Maze Runner books in a week. They were amazing, which is why I couldn't put it down, but I really need to calm down.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – Haruhi in Wonderland!**

It was exactly three o'clock when the pink clock tower rung. While this was happening, two people were walking through the gates and towards the pink school. Once was a teenage girl with long brown hair with a blue middle school uniform. The other was what seemed like her father with a brown ponytail and a very fashionable black suit. The school was beautiful.

"I'm happy to say your daughter's future here at Ouran Academy is assured," the chairman said. "Her test scores are nothing short of brilliant." Her father sighed.

"That's the trouble," he said. "She's too smart for her own good. She insisted on going through the entire application process without my help. After she aced the entrance exams, she even tried to persuade me not to come with her today. Can you imagine?" Her father chuckled.

"Is that right?" the chairman asked. He then turned to face her. "Miss Fujioka, would you mind if your father and I spoke privately? You're more than welcome to explore the grounds, if you'd like. Of course, most of the students have gone for spring break, but you might make some new friends even so."

"Go on sweetheart. Let your daddy and the nice dean here handle all the boring paperwork for you. Okay?"

"Alright, thanks dad," she said as she stood up and left.

"She's quite an independent spirt," the chairman said. "Children of her intelligence often are. It must be lonesome for you."

"I wonder if she'll enjoy herself here," he said as the door closed.

…

Haruhi walked up the tiring flight of red carpeted stairs which lead to the top floor of the school. She groaned at how glamorous the pink chandelier was on the ceiling. She walked past a giant window, watching the white birds fly past in the blue sky. She gasped when she heard the clock ringing. She noticed that it said it was three o'clock. But how?

She then noticed that the door at the end of the hall was slightly open. She saw something that kind of resembled an arm waving at her. She looked closer. Inside the room was a pink stuffed rabbit, dancing around with a banana in its mouth. "Wha?" she whispered out as she ran towards the door.

The room was labelled 'Music Room #3'. She peered through the door to see a banana peel lying on the floor with an arrow pointing to it. The stuffed rabbit was walking away from her. It then stopped and out of nowhere, a powerful motor booted up and the room started to shake. Suddenly a line formed in the ground, making a circle around it. That part then started lowering itself into the ground, leaving a hole in the ground.

"A rabbit?" Haruhi asked. "But it's stuffed." The rabbit turned around and waved its right ear at her as it disappeared.

"Hey wait! Wait a minute!" she shouted as she ran towards it. Her foot then stepped on the banana peel and she slipped. She then realised what was going to happen as she stared down the hole. She screamed in confusion as she fell straight down.

She continued to scream as she kept falling faster and faster. The tunnel never seemed to end. A white light lit up the whole tunnel and she gasped, closing her eyes. She screamed as her bottom fell through the opening of a vase. She took a second for she sighed.

"I'm…okay," she said with a smile. Because of the new sudden weight, the vase fell off of its platform and Haruhi landed on the ground, face first. She groaned out in pain.

"Ow," she said. She grabbed the vase and tried to pull it off her, but with no luck. "Oh come on, this isn't fair."

She then heard something. She looked up and noticed a small boy dressed up as a mouse exit through the top of a grand piano. It then grabbed something to hold the opening up which he lodged in between the piano.

"Excuse me!" Haruhi called out. The mouse looked up but then gasped at what he saw. "I've got myself kinda stuck in this thing." She seemed to slither toward him. "If you wouldn't mind giving me a hand, I would really appreciate it." The mouse then jumped off the piano and her eyes widened.

"Hey!" The mouse grabbed a banana out of the palm tree. "Where are you going?" It landed on the ground, a far bit away from her. He unpeeled the banana and turned around to face her. He then took a big bite of the banana and he disappeared into a puff of pink smoke. "Huh?! He disappeared!?" She then saw the mouse ran out from the smoke, but he had shrunken significantly. "Wait, please come back!"

The mouse screamed out in a chipmunk like voice as it started talking in gibberish. It madly ran away from her and towards a small pink door in the middle of the back wall. She slithered over to the door and opened it. Inside she saw the mouse talking to the stuffed rabbit. Once the mouse noticed she saw there, he sprinted in the darkness. The rabbit turned around and started running after the mouse.

Haruhi closed the door as she slithered back to the piano. She lifted herself up, looking inside it. All that was inside though were strings, screws and other mechanics. "Where did that thing even come from?" she questioned. She then looked all around the room. "There's gotta be another way out of here, right?" All she saw though was the small door. "Unless…" She looked at a bunch of bananas that the mouse had dropped by accident that were on the floor. She quickly snatched them and ate them all. Quickly, she was surrounded by pink smoke and she shrunk. She lifted the vase off of her and she ran towards the small door.

…

Light bulbs turned on and they seemed to form a word. "Female," Haruhi read as she walked down the dark hallway. Suddenly the wall next to her lit up. It started a countdown…3…2…1…Banana peel?

"Banana?" she asked as she slipped on a banana peel. She skidded all the way down the hall, light bulbs lightening up as she passed them until she reached a hole. She saw a down arrow and she gasped. Above her, the ceiling was lit up to say 'Caution'. She screamed as she fell down the hole, yet again. She screamed as she landed in a tree. She sighed with relief until the branch broke. She then fell to the ground and grunted in pain.

"Ow, that hurt," Haruhi mumbled. She heard two voices laughing and she looked up.

There was a girl and boy with blonde hair. The boys was styled. The girls was in a high ponytail. They seemed to be siblings. They both had dark brown eyes and had on orange-yellow t-shirts with a white collar. The boy had a blue bowtie while the girl had a blue ribbon. The boy had on red pants while his sister had a red poufy skirt. She wore high heels and he wore runners.

"Hey? Are you alright?" the sister asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Haruhi responded.

"That's good," the brother said.

"Now we can play a game!" they said together.

"A game?" Haruhi asked as she stood up.

"Yes, a game," the sister said.

"It'll be fun," the brother said.

Haruhi looked around her, finding herself in some kind of garden.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in playing ga-"

"Who said you had a choice?" the brother asked.

"Come on! Let's go have fun!" the sister said.

They each grabbed onto a different arm and dragged Haruhi over to the fountain.

"What are we doing here?" Haruhi asked.

"This game is really easy," the brother said.

"Just don't fall into the fountain," the sister said. Haruhi raised an eyebrow.

They came up behind her.

"This doesn't seem much of a-" she stopped as she felt herself falling.

She noticed that the two siblings were smiling at her as she landed in the freezing cold water. She screamed out as she jumped out of the cold water.

"What the hell?!"

"We told you-" the brother started.

"Not to fall in the water," the sister finished.

"Yeah, but you pushed me!" The two siblings looked at each other. "You didn't say that you were allowed to do that!"

"We didn't?" they asked.

"No, you didn't," Haruhi said as she shivered.

"You didn't like that game?" the brother asked.

"No, I didn't," Haruhi said.

"I have an idea! Let's go play another game!" the sister said.

"What now?"

"Let's play Hide and Seek!" they said together.

"…Really?" Haruhi asked annoyed. The two nodded.

"We'll hide," the brother said.

"And you seek!" the sister said. Haruhi sighed.

"Fine," she said. She just wanted them away from her. She closed her eyes and started counting. She heard the two giggle as they ran off. Once she'd finished counting, she opened her eyes and noticed that they had vanished. She sighed with relief. "Good, now how do I get back?" she asked herself as she started walking.

She walked past numerous good hiding spots but didn't both checking. She stopped though when she saw a building. She walked up to it and opened the door. She didn't even get a chance to look around when she felt two hands push her in the back. She started falling forward and splashed in the water. The last thing she heard were those two voices laughing their heads off as they ran off and closed the door behind them.

Haruhi had her eyes closed, sinking to the bottom. She opened her eyes and gasped as she noticed the lack of air. She covered her mouth as she quickly swam to the top. She gasped as she reached the surface and noticed that the water showed the sky's reflection as clear as day. She looked around and noticed where she was.

"Okay? So now I'm in a pool?" she asked herself as she swam to a gold staircase at the edge of the pool. She grabbed onto the handles as she pulled herself up to the first step.

"You've cried quite a bit huh?" a male's voice said.

"What?" Haruhi asked.

"You must have to fill a pool this size. See, this water is an accumulation of all the tears you've shed in life. It's quite impressive actually. It looks like you've been through your fair share of hardships." It was a caterpillar talking to her and it was blowing bubbles. "Speaking of which, I'd get out of there if I were you. It isn't safe." Haruhi stared at him.

"Huh?" she said before she heard a splash in the water.

She gasped as she turned around. She saw three female heads pop out of the water with clear cylinders on their heads. They moved toward hers and they had mechanical crocodiles attached to them. They opened their jaws at her and she screamed as she literally jumped out of the pool and grabbed onto a pillar. The crocodiles just missed as they smashed back into the water.

"What…in the world?" Haruhi asked as she breathed heavily and rapidly. "What were those things?" Those things travelled backwards and sunk back into the water. "This place is way more dangerous than I thought. Hang on, am I back to my original size?" she asked as she checked herself over.

"Not yet," the caterpillar said. "But we can take care of that for you, if you're interested." Haruhi then walked over to him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. The caterpillar sighed as he blew another bunch of bubbles.

"It won't be cheap though. Ah, we have guests."

She looked and noticed that there were two people walking towards them. One was a cloaked figure and the other was a blonde little girl.

"Yes, hello," the cloaked figure said. "Might my sister and I have a little mushrooms?" He used a cat puppet to talk with.

"Of course. We can settle your tab at the end of month," the caterpillar said as he wrote something down in his book.

"You know, I think you're the most shroud caterpillar I've met," Haruhi said as she leaned on the purple mushroom the caterpillar was sitting on. "What kind of stuff are you always writing down in the book of yours huh?"

"Oh anything, and everything." He stopped writing. "That's odd. You said always just now. And you and I have never met."

"Always?" Haruhi asked. The cloaked figure and his sister picked up a mushroom each from the tree. "Did I? That's weird, isn't it?"

The two took a bite of the mushroom and suddenly there bodies started changing as a bright light illuminated from them.

"I'm…getting…smaller," the cloaked figure said as his voice started changing.

Soon, the cloak fell to the ground and out crawled a blonde haired and blue eyed baby.

"I'm getting bigger," the blonde girl said as her voice changed. Soon, her clothes became shorter and she became a teenage girl.

"Uh, I'm sorry. That's not exactly what I had in mind when I said getting back to size," Haruhi said.

Suddenly, she heard a door open. She gasped as she turned around. She noticed that the baby was crawling away.

"Hey! That little baby is crawling away all by itself!" Haruhi shouted.

"It's not any of my business," the caterpillar said as he stroked the blonde teenager's chin with his pen. Haruhi stood there for a second before turning around and running through the door.

…

She slammed the doors open as she fell to the ground. She had slipped over a banana peel. There were hundreds of them surrounding her. "Nice going," someone said as they laughed.

"You may refer to me as duchess," a girl with light brown hair said. She wore a long green dress with a green bow in her hair.

She seemed to be sitting on a chair on top of a pedestal.

"Huh?" Haruhi said as she sat up.

"The woman over there making banana soup is my cook." She turned around and saw a woman wearing a poufy yellow dress with an apron and a blue bow.

"And this worthless lay about is my cat." She pointed to an auburn haired cat. He had purple ears, a pink tail, a purple stripped top with dark purple sleeves and pink gloves. He also had dark purple pants with a yellow scarf and pink boots. Haruhi then stood up.

"Pretty amazing cat. I've never seen one smirk like that before," she said.

She froze when something flew past her head. It was a ladle and the duchess dodged it with ease.

"WHY DO I HAVE TO BE THE STINKING COOK!?" the red haired cook screamed as she started chucking everything around her. "IT'S NOT FAIR! I QUIT! YOU ALWAYS HAVE FUN AND I ALWAYS HAVE TO PLAY THE VILLAN!" The duchess dodged everything that was thrown at her, not even batting an eyelash. "TAMAKI YOU IDIOT!" the cook screamed as she ran out of the room screaming and crying. Haruhi walked up to the duchess.

"So, does this mean you're the baby's mother?" she asked. The duchess was holding the blonde haired baby from earlier.

"Are you concerned for the child?" the duchess asked.

"I'm just glad he found his way home. It's the best thing for him. Being with your mother is always the best thing." The duchess remained silent before she looked at the window.

"Well, I must be off then. Would you look after him while I'm gone?"

She handed Haruhi the baby. Suddenly a powerful motor booted up and the room shook.

"For how long?" Haruhi asked as the duchess started to spin and sink into the ground.

"I couldn't say. I've been summoned to appear in court."

"In court?" The duchess was now gone.

"You know she's just pulling your leg," the cat said. "That doll doesn't even belong to her in the first place."

Haruhi looked at him before looking down and noticing that the baby was now a wooden cat doll.

"Hey, what happened to-?"

The cat had disappeared. Haruhi then sighed as she placed the doll on the couch and left the room.

…

She walked down the empty corridors outside of the school, only hearing the sound of her own footsteps. She stopped when she noticed the cat from earlier leaning against a pillar.

"Mr Cat," she said. The cat smirked as it went behind the pillar. "Hey! Wait!" she called out.

"Over here," a different voice said. She turned and saw it was the cat, but it had a completely different voice. "Pretty neat huh?"

"Uh, I guess," Haruhi said.

"I can disappear-"

"And reappear, anywhere," the cat said as he stood behind her.

"That's nice," she said and the cat smirked. "Listen, I'm a little turned around. Mind telling me the best way to get out of here?"

"That all depends-"

"On where you're trying to go," the cat said as he stood beside her but on the left.

"Home of course," she said. "Back to where I was before."

The cat disappeared. The cat then appeared on the other side.

"I'm afraid leaving without an audience with the Queen-"

"Is strictly forbidden," the cat as he was at her left again.

"An audience with the queen?" she asked as the cat disappeared.

When the cat seemed to not be coming back, she started walking again after about a few seconds of waiting.

"You might say-"

"That the Queen-"

"Keeps tabs-"

"On all her subjects."

"This is ridiculous. If you want to talk, come out and stand still. Both of you."

"Both of us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," Haruhi sighed as she started walking again. As she walked the two came out of their hiding spots and sighed.

…

She heard the clock going off again, signifying that it was three o'clock. She stood outside next to a pond where she saw four teacups of different colours lined up in a circle. She noticed that in one of them was a yellow dodo. She had a green teacup in front of her and was gazing into the sky.

"I hope he comes back soon," the dodo sighed as Haruhi walked past her. A single cherry blossom petal landed in her tea.

…

She walked down the giant room which was filled with many long tables covered with white cloth. There were small tables as well but nearly every chair seemed to be empty.

There seemed to be only three people in the whole room, besides herself. She walked past them but had to take a second look. Once she did, she travelled back over to them. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"No room," the boy with a top hat said.

"Yeah, no room left, sorry," a boy with bunny ears said.

"Huh?" Haruhi asked.

"There's no room," they said together.

"I got it," she said as she started walking away.

"Hey! You! Don't just brush us off like that!" the one in the top hat and red coat yelled.

"We were only kidding! There's plenty of room left!" the one with bunny ears and a pink coat exclaimed. "See?" he asked.

Haruhi stopped as she turned around, annoyed.

"Can I ask you guys a question about this place?" Haruhi asked as she sat down in front of them.

"Your hair's pretty long huh?" the one with the top hat asked.

"What?"

"That's actually a rather good look for you. Be that as it may, you'll still have to wear it much shorter in the future though."

"And why do you exactly care about my hair?" She then noticed a trolley that had moved next to the table.

"So you're wearing a skirt today?" the bunny eared one asked.

"Yeah well, believe it or not I am a girl. Not that it matters either way."

She then noticed how much cake the bunny eared one was eating. Quite a lot of cake was still on that trolley. "You know if you keep scarfing down junk food, you're gonna get cavities."

The bunny eared one seemed to shudder, like he remembered something terrible. Suddenly, the third member, who was asleep, woke up as his nose bubble popped.

"Be sure to brush your teeth," he said.

"Okay?" he said nervously. The mouse then fell back asleep.

"So I guess nose bubbles do pop," Haruhi muttered.

"A riddle!" the red coated one said.

"A riddle?"

"In what way are lean and fancy tuna alike?"

"Aren't they the same thing?" He then moved closer to her.

"Incorrect! They're not the same thing at all! Even in dreams, commoners and still commoners," he said moving away.

Out of nowhere, a headless mannequin wearing a blue bathing suit was next to them, holding a bottle of wine.

"Hey! Would you like a glass of red wine?" the bunny eared one asked.

"Sorry, the consumption of alcohol by minors is against the law."

"I guess getting her to play the part of Alice, was a bit of a stretch," the red coated one whispered.

"She's just not feeling the part," the bunny eared one whispered. "Still though, she's kinda cute."

"Yes she is!"

The clock once again rung. Suddenly, hundreds of clocks appeared, all saying the time of three o'clock.

"It's always three o'clock here." He checked his pocket watch.

"Which means it's always snack time!"

"So then, where is this place we're in anyway?" Haruhi asked. "I mean, a little while ago I was with my dad, filling out the enrolment paperwork."

He closed his pocket watch.

"Riddle me this. What do me and your father share in common now because of, you."

"Because of me?" He nodded with a smile. "Wait, this is Ouran Academy, right?"

"What will you do, once you're enrolled?"

"Huh?"

"After you've enrolled here. What will you do?"

"What will I…? Study I suppose."

"And what else?"

She gasped. "What else?"

"Yes, is that all?"

"Well, yeah."

"What for?"

"What?"

"What for?"

Haruhi thought for a moment before she smiled. "You see there's something specific I want to be when I grow up. That's why I'm enrolling here into Ouran. To prepare myself for a bright future."

"That's really sweet," the bunny eared one said. "So what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Well my dream is to be-"

"What good are dreams when all you do is work? There's more to life then hitting the books, I hope you know."

"But I have to study to do well."

"It's all fine, but what about, having a good time?"

"Having a good time?"

"Having a good time."

"Having a good time," the bunny eared one said.

"Having a good time," the mouse said.

"Having a…good time," Haruhi said.

…

Suddenly, they heard the sound of trumpets being blown.

"What was that for?" she asked as she turned to the window.

"The Queen is now holding court."

"The Queen?"

"The duchess is scheduled to be executed," the bunny eared one said as he shoved a giant slice of cake in his mouth.

"That's an outrage!" Haruhi said as she slammed on the table.

"One does not fight the Queen's whim. Trust me."

"Well I can't sit here and do nothing!" she said as turned around and ran out the room.

"Even when she's dreaming, Haru-chan is still Haru-chan."

"Uh huh."

…

The clock tower rung again, signifying that it was three o'clock. Everywhere around the school was quiet and suddenly empty.

The spotlight shined down on her as she stared at the floor.

"Duchess, you stand before us now, accused of coming to the Royal Music Festival by invitation."

The duchess stood on a giant pillar which was covered in a white cloth with red roses. Another two spotlights appeared and they showed the King and Queen, sitting on their golden thrones.

"Do you confess to your transgression?" the king asked.

The door slammed open.

"What transgression?" A spotlight appeared and showed Haruhi as she huffed and puffed, catching her breath.

"Who dares disrupt this court?"

"…I do," Haruhi said. "I'm here as legal counsel for the accused."

"With all due respect your Majesty, it is my duty to attend the Royal Music Festival," the duchess said as Haruhi walked towards the King and Queen.

"Even if it means leaving your precious child alone?" the Queen asked. "Your crime is not of attendance, but of abandonment. This act is unforgiveable. To cause such loneliness in a child."

"Your Majesty, the child wasn't abandoned," Haruhi said. "When a mother has to be away, providing for the family, the children know she's doing it out of love. Sure, they might get lonely from time to time, but, they understand. Besides, if you execute the duchess, how is her child any better off?"

"Silence yourself young lady!" the King commanded. "There's no room for your emotions in this courtroom!"

"But that's impossible! To pass judgement without motion, you might as well just leave it up to a machine!"

"Outstanding insolence," the King muttered. "Tell me, precisely how long have you been in the legal profession! Are you even qualified to practise law in this court? Are you not in fact guilty yourself? Why don't we discuss, your crime?"

"What are you talking about?" Haruhi asked.

A spotlight appeared and showed a broken vase. "I submit one renaissance vase, destroyed by you."

"That's the vase from earlier," she muttered. "But it defiantly was in one piece at a time. I couldn't have been the one who broke it!"

"A likely story, but if not you, then who's the culprit?"

"I have no idea, but I'm telling you it wasn't me!" She then saw someone reach out for the vase as it fell. "What the…?" She then saw it smash into a million pieces on the ground. "Or was it…"

"Witnesses! Those party to the crime of this so called lawyer are commanded to come forward and testify!" the King commanded.

"Excuse me, pardon the interruption," a voice said.

A spot light appeared and there were two people standing there.

"It would our privilege, your Majesty," the boy with the top hat said. She then noticed the blonde haired girl smirking.

"What are you doing here?" Haruhi asked.

"Of course, she might have broken the vase," the girl said. "But is that the real crime here?"

"What are you talking about?" the King and Haruhi asked.

"This girl here has committed an even worse crime than smashing a renaissance vase. She's boring."

"Huh?" Haruhi asked annoyed.

"This girl might have what you charitably call a drab approach to student life," the red coated one said.

"What?" Haruhi asked.

"School work. School work. She won't let the slightest bit of fun upset her routine."

"Oh yeah? Well at least I have a routine Tamaki-senpai!"

Suddenly all the lights turned on and she saw how many chandeliers there were in the room. She saw hundreds of girls, holding different coloured masks on sticks, standing above them on the balcony. They were all gushing and laughing.

"What's going on here?" Haruhi asked. She saw the blonde walked toward her before she touched her on the shoulder.

"Now how is it you know my name?" Tamaki asked.

"Huh?" He then stood up and turned around.

"My name, how do you know it?"

"Yes, however do you know his name? However do you know it?" the girls surrounding them all asked in unison.

Then the pedestal behind her lowered to the ground. She saw a tree branch next to her and she noticed the blonde climbing it.

"Yeah, and somehow you know we were twins," the cats said.

"And about my little black book, lest we forget," the caterpillar said as he sat on his mushroom.

"And about my cavity," the bunny eared on said, eating cake.

"How is that?" the mouse asked.

"How is that?" the bunny eared one asked.

"How is that?" the twins asked.

"How is that?" the duchess asked.

"How is that?" the sister asked.

"How is that?" the brother asked.

"How is that?" the caterpillar asked.

"How is that?" Tamaki asked. Haruhi stood in shock.

"Well, I," she stuttered.

"Hasn't it sunk in yet?" the King asked.

Tamaki then stood out of the way, presenting the King and Queen. "You've made a lot of wonderful friends here Haruhi." He took of his mask and headpiece and long red hair came flowing out. "Now haven't you."

"Dad, you're the king?" Haruhi asked. "And does that mean?" She went silent. "Does that mean…? It couldn't be…" She gasped as the Queen stood up and walked towards her.

"You've gotten so big. Where does the time go?" Haruhi gasped as her eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I made it so hard for you. And so, now is the time to make up for it. Don't be afraid to enjoy yourself, alright?" the Queen asked as she stopped in front of her.

Tears slid down her cheeks as Haruhi ran forward, tears flowing from her eyes as well. She then jumped forward, reaching out to her mother for a hug. Then everything faded to white…

…

Haruhi rested her head against her arms. "…Mom…" she whispered out as a tear fell from her eyes.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki asked and she opened her eyes. She lifted her head up from off the table and wiped her eyes. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you doze off before."

"Hurry up and get ready. We have guests coming any minute now," Kyoya said.

"Come on Haruhi, you still need to get changed," Rin said.

"We don't have all day," Ren said.

Tamaki wore a white suit, a white top with a red rose.

Kyoya wore a long ponytail, a purple cap, and black poufy clothing with a red fan in his hands.

The twins had the exact same clothes on as in her dream. They were holding a blue dress with a white apron on it.

Honey-senpai wore bunny ears, a pink coat and had a giant clock wrapped around his neck that said three o'clock.

Mori-senpai was wearing a full suit of armour with a sword.

Rin and Ren were wearing the same outfits as in her dream.

"You know, you guys have way to much fun, you know that right?" Haruhi asked. "I have to admit it though, around here, I can hardly even tell when I'm awake," she said smiling.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Covering the Famous Host Club!**

"Mr President, our circulation has dropped into single digits."

"Just give me the numbers please. How many newspapers did we sell this week?" One of the articles was about an alien city being discovered in Ouran Elementary.

"Two copies," the boy on the right said as he and the one on the left each help up two fingers.

"That's all?" the president asked.

"Yes sir."

"Ukyo, did you buy a newspaper?"

"I did sir," he said as he pulled out a copy from his blazer.

"And Sakyo, what about you?"

"Of course," he responded, pulling out a copy.

"So you're saying, no one from outside the newspaper club bought one?"

"Well, yes," Ukyo said. "Unfortunately, the does seem to be the case, sir."

"This is quite a predicament. Next week's addition will be the last one for the semester. We don't come up with better results before the summer vacation, the club will be shut down before the end of the school year." He stood up and walked to the window. "Oh, by the way, how's that other club doing?"

"Well sir," the two said as they pulled out copies.

"The collection 'I Love Love Love Tamaki Special' sold out as soon as it went on sale. All one thousand copies," Ukyo said.

"'Moe-Moe Ouran Diaries Volume 8', published by Renge Hoshakuji, also sold out as soon as it went on sale. It's already in its second printing."

"…I should have known. There's the ones who have the most power here at Ouran."

…

The giant white doors opened to revel the Ouran Host Club, dressed up in traditional Japanese clothing.

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen," they all said.

…

"But we can't do this Tamaki. There are so many girls who love you and if we get any closer, I'm afraid that they're all going to hate me for it." Tamaki then pulled her closer.

"Princess," he whispered. "These beautiful hydrangeas will keep us hidden from the others. You don't need to worry." He then turned her around so the two were facing each other. "For this moment, I belong to no one but you. The spirts of the hydrangeas will keep our rendezvous a secret."

"Oh Tamaki, I yearn to be with you!"

"Princess…"

"Oh my!"

…

Kaoru picked up two shell pieces and pushed them together. No matter how hard he tried, they wouldn't connect together.

"Sorry Kaoru," the girls chorused.

"No way. I lost again," he said and the girls giggled.

"Now go easy on him princesses," Hikaru said. "Kaoru is quite the cry-baby."

"Hikaru! That is not true! I'm not a cry-baby!"

"Oh, so you're gonna deny it huh?" he asked with a smirk as he grabbed Kaoru's chin. "What about when the two of us are alone playing punishment games? Tell us what happens then Kaoru."

"Well, that's because you…" He cut himself off as Kaoru lifted his head up, causing the girls to scream out, blushing madly.

…

"It's your turn Rin," Ren called as he kicked the ball to her. She giggled happily as she stopped it with her foot. She then kicked it until the air and tried to keep it in the air. The other boys came to join in, making sure she didn't drop it.

"Wow, you're really good at this Rin-chan," the boy said.

"Really? You think so?" she asked as she caught it in her hands.

"Yeah," the three boys said together.

"Oh, you guys are too sweet," she said as she smiled. She went up to the first boy and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed madly as the other boys sighed.

"Man, you are so lucky," the other two said.

…

Ren was watching the scene in front of him, slightly glaring. "What's the matter Ren-kun?" one of the girls asked.

"Uh, n-nothing. I-I'm just a bit o-overprotective over my l-little sister. T-That's all," he stuttered, blushing.

"Awww! That is so cute!" the second girl said.

"I wish someone could worry about me like that," the third said.

"I-I'm sure you'll f-find someone like that one day. You're all v-very pretty girls. Y-You should have no problem." The girls had huge smiles on their faces, blushing and squealing.

…

"Wow, I never noticed the courtyard had such a lovely stream."

"It's called the Yarimizu Channel," Kyoya said. "It is said that during the Heian Era, people would better experience the seasons by watching the petals or autumn leaves that drifted along the water. I had it specially made for all of you, hoping it would express my desire to spend all four seasons with you.

"So then, what do you say ladies?" he asked as he pulled out a book which he had labelled for reservations. "This fall, there's an autumn leaves tea party with a limited amount of invitations."

"Oh! Sign me up!" the three girls said.

…

"Now watch as we work together to eat soba!" Honey-senpai said.

Mori-senpai was hidden behind him, using his arms instead of Honey-senpai's. Somehow, Mori-senpai, without seeing, grabbed onto a piece of soba and lifted it out of the bowel. Sadly though, he missed Honey-senpai's mouth and hit him in the cheek with the chopsticks. Honey-senpai cried out in pain.

"Awww, he's so cute!" the girls gushed as they covered their reddened cheeks with their hands.

…

_It's so peaceful, _Haruhi thought as she stood by herself. _I guess I'm finally getting used to this. Took me long enough. It's been this way since I've started school here. _

"Haruhi! Duck!" Tamaki called out as he ran towards her. She turned around and saw a Kamari ball flying towards her. She screamed as Tamaki grabbed her and pushed them both to the ground, the ball barley missing them. "Hikaru! You came this close to snuffing out the light of Haruhi's life!" Tamaki screamed out as he stood up. He didn't realise though that he was crushing Haruhi in the process.  
_So much for it being peaceful. _

"Hey, it's your fault for not catching the ball in the first place boss," Hikaru said.

"Yeah, who knew you'd be so bad at Kamari?" Kaoru asked. "So much for him being the Genji of Ouran Academy."

"WHAT!" Tamaki screamed out.

…

"_YOU WANT TO SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU PERVERTED PUNKS?" _They could hear Tamaki scream from outside.

"If we want the newspaper club to survive, I'm afraid we're gonna have to ask them for help," the president said.

"_So what? We're not afraid to say it to your face."_

"No Mr President. It's too dangerous to get involved with those guys," Ukyo said.

"_DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!"_

"_Tamaki, calm down. You're killing Haruhi."_

"He's right," Sakyo said.

"_We're just saying the truth here."_

"Not only could the club get shut down but you could get expelled."

…

"You think so? Well check this out! STARLIGHT, KICK!" Tamaki shouted as he kicked the ball as hard as he could.

"WHAT?" Hikaru yelled.

"SO FAST!" Kaoru exclaimed.

"HOW THE HELL?" Rin cried. The ball then soared straight over their heads and all the way to the other building.

"Take care of yourself!" the twins called out to the ball as it flew away. Rin sighed with relief as Tamaki gasped.

"It might be fast, but you have no control," Rin smirked. Tamaki sighed as he went into the corner, depressed.

…

"Calm down, there's nothing to worry about," the president said as he adjusted his glasses. "We have no choice but to ask them for help. However, that doesn't mean I'll fall victim to their-" The ball smashed through the window and struck him in the back of the head, causing him to fall unconscious.

"President!" the two called out.

…

"We're terribly sorry about that," Tamaki said as he bowed his head. Haruhi, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai were cleaning the broken glass on the floor. The twins and Rin were reading one of their newspapers and Kyoya and Ren stood in front of their desk.

"It's no big deal," the president said. "Could have happened to anyone. Just a ball flying through a window and hitting me upside the head."

"Please, accept our apology," Tamaki said again.

"Well, this works out perfectly. I was just thinking about approaching the host club about a cover story. I don't suppose you'd be interested?"

"I didn't know we had a newspaper club," Haruhi said.

"It's more gossip rag than newspaper," Hikaru said.

"Yeah, like a trashy tabloid," Kaoru said. "It's filled with stories about scandalous love affairs, family power struggles and junk like that."

"It's just a lame gossip rag that specializes in stirring up scandal," Hikaru said.

"And everyone knows it's all lies so nobody reads it anymore," they said in unison.

"No wonder people don't buy it," Rin said.

"It just seems petty," Ren said.

"You know, I guess we kinda have lost sight of the truth because we've been so worried about drawing in more readers. It's a shame we're just realising our error. Now that the paper is at risk." Tamaki gasped. "We finally realised what we should have been reporting to the students of Ouran." The three stood up and bowed. "Help us please. For our last paper for the semester, we'd like to do an up close special edition, revealing the charms of Ouran's Host Club members. I'm begging you. Without your help, our club will close."

"You can count on us," Tamaki said. "On behalf of the Host Club, I-" He screamed out as Kyoya pushed him out of the way.

"Have to decline," Kyoya said.

"But Kyoya! He got hurt because of me! What's the big deal?!"

"Sorry, we have a policy prohibiting us from sharing any personal information with anyone other than our guests."

"_So they want to do a story on us? What's the problem? HUH? You don't get to make the decisions! I'm the boss! ME! ME!"_

"But we'd be more than happy to pay any medical expenses related to your injury."

"And another thing, what makes you think we want to help you spread more rumours and gossip?" Kaoru asked. "We've got a reputation to uphold and you'd just ruin it."

"Besides, you guys cause a lot of trouble for other people. And who'd want to get mixed up in that?" Hikaru asked.

_It's scary how much they don't realise about themselves. _

"I mean, I already have enough rumours being spread about me. I don't need ones being spread about my personal life from the newspaper club," Rin said and Ren nodded.

"I understand," the president said as he sat down. "Well, I guess you really can't erase the sins of the past, can you? People won't even give you the opportunity to try and redeem yourself. AH! My head is killing me!" He slammed his head against the desk.

"President!" the other two called as they rushed over to him.

"I'm okay. Don't worry you two. OH NO! I'm getting dizzy!"

"President!"

"No wait, I'm fine. AHHH!"

"President!"

"It's way too obvious," Ren muttered.

"They're begging for sympathy," Rin mumbled.

"I guess all we can do at this point is disband with grace!"

"No! You don't have to!" Tamaki said. "You can always make a fresh start! We will help! We will rally up the power of our host club! And we can re-establish the newspaper club together!"

"Well, count us out," the twins said.

"You're way too trusting boss," Hikaru said. "We can't just go along with everything you do forever."

"Yeah, we've had enough," Kaoru said. Haruhi was being dragged away. Hikaru then wrapped his other arm around Rin's waist.

"We're going too," Rin said.

"We can't trust them," Ren said.

"We're going too Tamaki," Kyoya said. "We're holding an evaluation meeting. Mostly about you."

"Hold it!" Tamaki called and they all stopped. "How can you be so heartless? These men are about to lose their club. Don't you feel sorry for them?" He then turned around. "Their family's breaking up!" he yelled as he started crying. The newspaper club behind him all started crying as well. "I demand you help them! And that is a direct order!"

"We're not going to do it!" the twins, Rin and Kyoya yelled. Tamaki screamed as he felt the world around him shatter into a thousand broken pieces.

* * *

**MUSIC ROOM #3**

Tamaki sat in the corner, moving the Kamari ball back and forth with his index finger. Mori-senpai was sipping tea while Honey-senpai was eating cake. Ren was writing things down, basically doing Rin's math homework for her.

"Well, he's obviously upset with us," Hikaru said.

"Yeah, and he hasn't even changed clothes," Kaoru said.

"I hate when he ignores us when we're right in front of him," Kyoya said. "He's such a child."

"He started doing this at age two," Rin said. "I guess habits don't die young."

"Nah, Tama-chan's just a lonely guy, that's all," Honey-senpai said as Haruhi looked over to him.

"A club is like a family," Tamaki pouted. "There family's about to be broken up. I feel sorry for them."

"I hate to give in, but would it be that bad if we helped them out with the newspaper?" Haruhi asked.

"Since when are you taking his side?" Kaoru asked.

"Since never. Just listen okay. I know any moment now he's gonna look over here with those puppy dog eyes he uses when he wants something and none of us will be able to resist so he'll win."

"Let me guess, you're speaking from experience, aren't you?" the twins asked.

"Yep. Plus, I've told her to watch out for that look numerous times before," Rin said and they nodded.

"Besides, isn't this the kind of thing you guys go for?"

"Well, no. It seems like more trouble than it's worth."

"What about you Honey-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"Count me out! I have this cake to eat and Takashi sits with me, right?" Honey-senpai asked. Mori-senpai nodded.

"What about you Rin?" she asked.

"Hell no. Not happening," she said and Haruhi sighed. She felt Tamaki's eyes looking at her and she turned around. When she did, he turned away but then looked back. He looked at the ball before he turned around and looked at them.

_Those are the eyes, _Haruhi thought.

He looked at the ball before he turned around and looked at them.

_The puppy dog eyes, _the twins thought.

He looked at the ball before he turned around and looked at them.

_I hate you so much Tamaki, _Rin thought.

He looked at the ball before he turned around and looked at them.

Kyoya remained silent but it still got him. He sighed.

"There will be some conditions," he said and Tamaki barked. "The outline for their article will be selected by us. Interviews are strictly prohibited and its vital our client's lives be confidential."

"Bark! Bark!" Tamaki barked, being a dog.

"Do we agree?" he asked as he closed his book.

"Well, if you think its cool Kyoya-senpai," Hikaru said.

"Then we do too," Kaoru said.

"I'll do it since Kyo-chan says its okay," Honey-senpai said.

"Fine, I'll do it as well," Rin said.

_That's the Shadow King for you, _Haruhi thought.

* * *

"Of course, if you'll allow us to cover you, we promise to observe your conditions," the president, Akira, said.

"Well then, you may start tomorrow," Kyoya said.

"Excellent."

"So how is that bump on your forehead feeling?"

"Oh that. It's no big deal. I hardly feel it anymore. I owe a lot to this bump cause without it, we'd have never come together to make this article."

"That's true, but we're still very sorry it happened." He then put a first aid kit on the desk. "I brought you a little something as an apology of sorts." He then opened the box. "This is the first aid kit, made by my family's company."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"No problem. Please, excuse me."

"Oh, it just dogged on me. Your family runs the Ootori group, right? They manufacture medical equipment, don't they?"

"We mostly deal with hospital management."

"I'm so glad we'll be working together. My father is a president as well of the Komatsuzawa Publishing firm."

"Yes, I am well aware of that. So, being president of the newspaper club is your way of preparing to take over the family company?"

"Well yes, to an extent but I have this younger brother. A bright young man and my father's very proud of him, you see? So now my father has decided to change the management of the company over to my younger brother. Thereby passing over me." He bit his thumb. "The eldest son, first born. However, if I'm able to finish my third year at Ouran Academy as the president of a successful newspaper club, I think he may reconsider my candidacy as his successor.

"Do you understand? I cannot allow this club to fall apart, no matter what!"

"Please excuse me," Kyoya said as he walked out of the room.

"Mr President, are we to assume you were trying to win over Kyoya Ootori?" Ukyo asked.

"Of course, my only real enemy here is Tamaki Suoh. Originally, I had planned to use the power of the school newspaper to become popular at Ouran Academy. But then, Suoh showed up and started his stupid Host Club. And suddenly, he became the big man on campus."

"But President, that's not what Sakyo and I heard."

"Yeah, and I thought the newspaper you printed before was just as unpopular as it is now."

"That's enough!" Akira shouted. The two jumped. "It only takes one phone call to mother, and I can have all business between my publishing firm and your families cut off. They obviously got special standings. They're not affiliated with any sports or cultural clubs. They don't even have an advisor. All they do in that club is fake romance. Those poor girls and guys that visit them are being suckered. That must be Suoh's way of exploiting his power. Using his parent's authority to let him and his buddies do whatever they want with those girls.

"All of those Host Club members, including Kyoya Ootori, were supposed to be my underlings. And that girl, could have been much more to me than an underling. Tamaki Suoh, he's more shroud than you'd expect. He may seem like a friendly guy, he's got the act down. But I'm positive he's got a dark side. I'll dig until I find something scandalous! That'll teach him a lesson!"

He slammed his hand down on the first aid kit, making a loud bang.

* * *

Akira stared in shock, not knowing what to say. Tamaki was facing a tree, his eyes closed as he leant against it. The eight other members were standing all the way down the end of the garden. The host club members started moving forward.

"The Daruma doll…fell o….ver!" Tamaki said as he turned around. All the members stopped.

"The…Daruma doll…fell o….ver!" They stopped again.

"The Daruma doll fell o…ver!" He groaned.

"The Daruma door fell o..ver!" He was getting ticked off.

"The Daruma doll fell over!" The newspaper club stared in shock.

"The Daruma doll fell fell over! I saw you move! Hikaru and Kaoru!"

"What? We didn't move boss!"

"I saw you! I saw you!"

…

"Is this some kind of new religion?" Ukyo asked.

"Why are you asking me?" Akira asked. "How the hell should I know?"

"You know, I can't blame you for being shocked," Tamaki said as he gracefully came over. "I was unfamiliar with it myself. It's a commoner's game! They have a wide variety. And none of them require you spending any money. All you need is a few friends to play with!"

"And what does this have to do with our coverage of the host club?"

"YOU NEED TO LEARN FRIENDLINESS!" he yelled and the newspaper jumped. "If you want to clear the negative reputation of the newspaper club and capture the hearts of your readers, you must try to be more down to earth! I can just imagine the headlines now! The handsome boys and the gorgeous girl of the Host Club enjoy commoner's games. With pictures of us frolicking in the scenery of the early summer. It'll be the perfect face list for your front page. And it gives you the chance to know a certain commoner is happier, reliving his childhood here with us!" Tamaki turned to Haruhi and smiled at her, waving.

_Oh great. He's looking at me. I should probably start acting like I'm happy to be here. _

"But president, I don't think I understand what he's saying," Ukyo said.

"Are you sure this guy isn't just a complete idiot?" Sakyo asked.

"Don't let your guard down just yet. This is all part of his strategy." He then noticed Haruhi standing there, groaning. "The commoner in question," he muttered. "Perfect."

"Why can't this just be over," she groaned.

"You're Fujioka, right? You wouldn't mind if I asked you a few questions, would you?"

"Um, sure."

"So why did you join the host club?"

"Well uh, honestly, I joined because I was forced too."

"You're an honour student here on a scholarship, correct?"

"Yeah, I am."

"So in other words, the fact that you're a member of Host Club is just another example of how the Suoh family flaunt their power."

"Say what?"

"Now if you would please tell me all about Tamaki's dark side. If you can help me out here, we just might be able to set you free."

"Sorry, but as far as I can tell he doesn't have a dark side."

"That can't be right. You expect me to believe a group of high schoolers actually enjoy playing these games?"

"I don't think it's that weird."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Rin knows more about Tamaki than I do. Maybe you should go ask her." He then smirked.

"Oh really? Haruhi, would you go get her then?" Haruhi nodded before she went over to them.

"Rin, they want you." Rin turned around.

"Uh, alright," she said as she walked towards the newspaper club.

"Ah, Miss Hayashi. Would you mind if we asked you some questions?" Akira asked as the other two took pictures.

"Go ahead. Shoot," she said.

"Now, why did you join the host club?"

"Well, technically I was forced too because guys wanted to pay to see me."

"Oh really? Aren't you the only female in the club?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Another example of how the Suoh family flaunt their power. Taking advantage of a young girl to please themselves."

"What are you talking about?"

"Tell me, does Tamaki have a dark side? Tell me all about it." She went silent for a few seconds before she started laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked, looking confused.

"Tamaki? Dark side? Those two things don't go together. Trust me when I say that Tamaki doesn't have a dark side?"

"You're kidding? You expect me to believe the high schoolers want to play these childish games?"

"Well yeah, I like them."

"Oh, but you're different." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "If you tell me the truth, I can help you escape from Tamaki and his stupid friends and I can get your stories published by my firm. What do ya say?"

"They're my friends too. Don't say things like that about them."

Suddenly, the twins came over and sliced his hand off her shoulders and ran off, holding her hands. "CHOP!"

"Now come and get us!" the twins and Honey-senpai yelled.

"Hey Wait! THAT'S NOT WHERE YOUR SUPPOSED TO CUT YA KNOW!?" Tamaki screamed, still linked to Kyoya by their pinkie fingers.

…

"Now we're playing 'Kick the Can'. And you're it Kyoya," Tamaki said as he pointed at him.

"If I must," he said.

"STARLIGHT…KICK!" Tamaki screamed as he kicked the can as hard as he could. The can soared past the newspaper club and Akira screamed out. He then regained himself. Rin watched as the can bounced off numerous different trees.

"If you honestly think I'd fall for the same trick again, you've got another thing co-" The can smacked him in the head.

"President!"

"Haruhi, come with me," Tamaki whispered as he grabbed Haruhi's hand and dragged her into the hedge maze.

_I don't think he has a dark side. Could he? Now that I think about it, I don't know anything about Tamaki-senpai's family. _

…

Kyoya placed the smashed can down on the ground and started counting. Akira stood back up, groaning in pain.

"I refuse to put up with their shenanigans any longer," he said as he walked away, angrily. "You pay for this, Tamaki Suoh." Kyoya counted to six before he stood up and smirked.

…

"Did you get us lost senpai?" Haruhi asked. Tamaki gasped. "We are lost, aren't we?"

"Look! Haruhi! I found a great hiding place over here!" Tamaki called from around the corner.

"Yeah, we're totally lost."

…

"So, we're stranded until somebody finds us?" Haruhi asked. He barked. "Oh great. It's a good thing you made Kyoya-senpai it." He barked again. "Are you messing with me?" He shook his head and panted like a dog. Haruhi groaned.

"You know, I never thought I'd be playing these silly games again when I got into highschool."

"But don't you think this is fun?"

"I guess. But I haven't played any of this stuff since Elementary School."

"Yeah? I see. It's new to me. When I was growing up, I never really had any friends that were my age. Rin was a year younger and Ren was two years older than me. My mother would get sick every easily and I was always worried about her so I didn't go out and play much. Instead, I would do my best to cheer her up. I'd always sit beside her and play the piano. Those two always stayed with me while I was taking care of my mother. That's how Rin learnt to play.

"That's probably why now I love playing these silly games with all of you. It's a lot of fun." Haruhi smiled. "We should do this again sometime."

"I think so too."

…

"I'm writing the article," Akira said as he walked down the halls.

"But wait, Mr President," Ukyo said.

"It's too dangerous to write gossip about Suoh," Sakyo said. "You don't have any evidence sir." Akira started biting his thumb.

_Who needs evidence? All I have to do is expose him and everyone will see it. If I set my mind to it, I can imagine any number of articles to cause commotion in the idiots of this Academy. _

"I'm going to expose Tamaki for the twit he is!" He slammed open to the newspaper club and gasped.

"So we were right all along," Kaoru said.

"You two," he said as he stared at the twins sitting on his desk.

"Well, I guess it was pretty obvious," Hikaru said.

"The boss is the only one who hasn't caught on yet. He can be really dense when it pertains to anything about himself."

"I should warn you, if you threaten him, there will be consequences."

"Are you ready to have the Hitachiin's and every other club members family's as your enemy?"

"Are you that shallow that you would write gossip about him that doesn't even exist, just because he's more popular than you?" Ren asked with a smirk.

"And really? Trying to bribe me? Are you really that stupid to think that I'd just give myself to you because of it?" Rin asked as she stood behind their desk. "Even though my family is no more, I have connections to many other families."

"I knew it! You're nothing but his lackeys! He's holding his parent's power over all of you!"

"That's not true," Honey-senpai said. The newspaper club turned around. "We don't hang out with Tama-chan because of his parents. We love him. We all like being around him. And that's why we choose to be here."

"He may be a hopeless idiot, but even so," Kyoya said as he sat on top of one of their newspaper stacks.

…

"_Hey Kyoya, let's start a club together!"_

…

"_Why, hello there Haninozuka-senpai. I know this is sudden, but I was wondering if you'd join a host club I am starting."_

…

"_Morinozuka-senpai." He gave him a thumbs up._

…

"_You kids seem to have a lot of free time. If you ever get bored, you should come join our new club."_

…

"_Rin-chan, you're the first real friend I've ever had. Let's be friends forever." They shook on it._

…

"_Hey Ren, don't worry. I'll help you protect your little sister from any danger! Okay?"_

…

"Well," Hikaru said.

"What will you do?" Kaoru asked.

"Please leave Tama-chan alone," Honey-senpai said. "Okay?"

"I'll get you all. It's not just about him anymore. I'll write an article that will ruin all of you!" Akira screamed out.

"Go ahead. Be my guest," Kyoya said as he picked up the first aid kit. "Although." He tapped a button on the bottom of the box and out popped a disk drive. "What do you think we should do about this little disk?" He held it in between his fingers. "You see, it's been here since yesterday. And it recorded everything."

"I wonder what kind of stuff could be on that little disk," Rin asked with a smirk on her face. The two other members of the newspaper club shuddered at the memory.

"President," Ukyo cried.

"Just give up already," Sakyo said. Akira suddenly fell to the floor on his hands and knees.

"Let me explain it to you in terms you can understand," Kyoya said as he walked towards them. "You will do well to remember that the Ootori Group and the Hitachiin family alone, have enough stock to remove your father's position as president of the Komatsuzawa Publishing firm. However, we would never do something like that? We are not like you." All the host club members had smiles on their faces from the despair that the newspaper club's president was showing.

"What we strive for, is something fundamentally different."

…

The host club members started walking out the door till only Hikaru and Rin were left.

"Oh, and by the way," Hikaru said as he stood at the door. "Try and touch my girlfriend again, and I'll get Kyoya's private police force, along with myself and her brother, to teach you a lesson." He grabbed onto Rin's hand as the two walked out the door.

…

"I found you," Kyoya said and Tamaki and Haruhi both barked. They lifted their heads from off the table and gasped when they saw all the host club members standing before them.

"Where's the newspaper club?" Tamaki asked as they started walking.

"They had to cancel, something came up," the twins said as they walked by two roses.

_One blue and one orange. _

"They said they're going to focus on writing more respectable articles," Hikaru said.

"And maybe they'll get by without having to shut down," Kaoru said.

"Oh really? That's good news," Tamaki said.

"Let's hurry back to the club room and eat some cake!" Honey-senpai said as he sat upon Mori-senpai's shoulders.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai said as they passed another two roses.

_One pink and one a dark blue. _

"That does sound good. Cake! Cake!" Tamaki cheered.

"Maybe I could finally finish my math homework," Rin said.

"You mean, I could finish your math homework," Ren said.

"Oh, you two are so cute," Tamaki said as he patted them both on the shoulders as they walked past another two roses.

_One was yellow and the other was yellow with red tips. _

"Kyoya-senpai. I was wondering," Haruhi started as they walked past another rose.

_This one was purple._

"Is the Suoh family really that big of a deal around here?"

"Well, the foundation of their business lies in corporate finances but they do have some extensive real-estate as well. You've heard of the Royal Grand Hotel and the Ooto Theatre. They also have a hand in other things like schools for example."

"I didn't know that. Which school?" Kyoya stopped walking.

"Why, Ouran Academy." Haruhi gasped. "You've been here long enough so you should know at least what the chairman's name is. You know, if you think about it, you're able to attend school here because of the financial aid you receive from Tamaki's family," Kyoya said as they walked past two roses.

_A red one and a light green one. _

"You should be grateful to them."

"Haruhi~!" Tamaki called. Haruhi slowly turned her head, like she was a robot, stiff. "Hurry up or we're going to leave you! I would hate for you to end up lost again."

Haruhi sighed as she realised that Tamaki, dim witted Tamaki, was the chairman's son. She took a second to regain herself before she groaned, catching up to them.

* * *

**Authors Note: **These episodes are great to write, especially with new characters and such. But, these guys are so annoying. Almost as bad as Lobelia…Almost.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – The Refreshing Battle in Karuizawa!**

All they heard was the annoying ring tone. "Hikaru, you're phone," Kaoru groaned as he woke up.

"Answer it for me will you?" Hikaru groaned.

"No way. Don't you recognise that ringtone?"

"You gotta be kidding me. We're only three days into summer vacation. Why can't he let us sleep in?" he asked as he reached all around for his phone.

"He's probably been up since dawn," Kaoru said as Hikaru finally got the phone. They both sat up as Hikaru sighed.

"Yeah what?" Hikaru asked as he answered his cell.

**Kyoya: **"Tamaki doesn't want to tell us unless the Hayashi's answer their cell phones."

**Hikaru: **"I already told him that they hate being waken up in the morning. Especially Rin."

**Honey: **"He's still trying."

**Mori: **"Yeah."

The twins then heard two ring tones from down the hall.

**Ren: **"…What?"

**Kyoya: **"Where's your sister?"

**Ren: **"Ring her again and she'll wake up."

They heard the ringtone again and they heard a loud groan.

**Rin: **"What…the…hell…do you…want?"

**Hikaru: **"Calm down babe, you can sleep after."

**Honey: **"So, are we all here now?"

**Kyoya: **"Tamaki, you can go now."

**Tamaki: **"SHE'S GONE! MY BELOVED DAUGHTER HAS VANISHED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH! SHE MUST HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED BY A BUNCH OF GYPSIES. I JUST KNOW IT! CONTACT THE POLICE! WE HAVE TO REQUST AN EMERGANCY DEPLOYMENT OF THE STF!"

**Rin: **"Stop yelling!"

**Ren: **"If you don't, Rin's gonna kill you."

**Hikaru: **"Wait, slow down. You're not making any sense here, now what?"

…

**Hikaru: **"What do you mean Haruhi's gone?"

**Honey: **"So Haru-chan is really missing?"

**Mori: **"And her family is bankrupt?"

**Tamaki: **"It's the only explanation! I've been trying to get through to her home phone and her father's work for the past several days but no one will answer! They've been evicted and forced into solitude! WE HAVE TO RESCUE THEM!"

**Honey: **"WAH! Haru-chan!"

**Hikaru: **"Please boss, not so loud."

**Rin: **"Or I'll rip your vocal chords out."

**Tamaki: **"AH! PLEASE DON'T!"

**Rin: **"Did you even listen to what I said?"

**Hikaru: **"Anyway, have you tried calling her cell phone yet?"

**Tamaki: **"Cell phone? WHY ON EARTH WOULD SHE HAVE A CELL PHONE?!" Then Tamaki clicked. "Of course. She was issued one by a secret network of underground commoners known as the 'Beign Exchange!"

**Kyoya: **"Not to interrupt your delusion but, Haruhi is currently in Karuizawa."

**Tamaki: **"So Haruhi, was turned out of her home, kidnapped by gypsies and forced into servitude…in Karuizawa?"

**Kyoya: **"Moron."

**Rin: **"She's clearly on some kind of vacation."

**Ren: **"Geez Tamaki, you really are dense."

…

"Thank you. Have a nice day," Haruhi said as a person walked out the door, making the bell ring. She was at a place called the 'Pension Misuzu', clearing the table of the dirty plates and cups. She then noticed the bell ring again as the door opened. "Hi. Good morning!" she said with a cheery smile.

_Who thought working at a bed and breakfast could be the ideal way to spend my summer? _

…

"So, she's gone off and left us huh?" Hikaru said.

"Looks like it," Kaoru said.

"Good morning masters," the twin maids said as they came in.

"Good morning," they said back. Hikaru then pulled the covers off, revealing that wasn't wearing pants and he had a weird elephant statue which sprayed confetti.

"Your breakfast is waiting for you downstairs." Hikaru sighed as the twin maids showed no reaction to his little stunt.

"Alright, we'll be down in a minute," Kaoru said.

"Very good sirs. We'll go wake up Mistress Hayashi."

"We're not married!" Hikaru shouted at them. The twin maids then left the room with an evil look on their faces.

…

Rin lied in bed, going back to sleep after that annoying and loud phone call from Tamaki. He worries too much. She felt herself falling back to sleep when she heard the door open.

"Good morning Mistress Hayashi," the twin maids said.

"Go away," Rin said as she rolled over.

"It's time to get ready." They then smirked evilly.

"No." She then screamed as she felt them lifting her out of bed and carrying her to the bathroom. "This is uncalled for!"

…

Ren had finished getting changed when he heard the feminine scream. He chuckled to himself, wondering what kind of torture the devil maids, as he liked to call them, would put her through.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He had on a black buttoned t-shirt with dark grey shorts.

He walked down the stairs to see the servants placing their breakfast down on the table. He thanked them as he sat down. The servants blushed and ran away, gossiping. He then saw the twins walk down, luckily, they had changed.

Hikaru had on a loose blue tank top with a black singlet underneath with orange pants.

Kaoru had on a sleeveless light green jacket with a black singlet and orange pants. They had to match somehow.

"Good morning," Ren said to them as they sat down.

"Morning," they responded. Hikaru then looked around.

"Where's Rin?" he asked.

"With the maids." Finally, Rin came down.

She had a sleeveless demin jacket, a white short sleeved shirt with black shorts and white high heels.

"Good morning," the three said.

"Ugh," she said as she slammed her head on the table.

…

Haruhi stood outside of the pension, hanging up the giant white sheets onto the clothes line.

_At first, I was a little apprehensive about not telling the guys my plans for the summer. I would have told Rin, but they would have forced it out of her. And besides, it isn't really like they have the free time to keep tabs on me anyway, right? _She picked up the laundry basket. _This place is so tranquil. Fresh air, quaint setting, perfect island get away for a girl to catch up on her studies. It's going to be great._

Suddenly, the wind picked up and the sheets started blowing rapidly. She turned around to see what it was.

"HARUHI!" Tamaki yelled into a megaphone, standing in a giant blue and yellow helicopter. "FEAR NOT! DADDY'S COME TO SAVE YOU!" Rin then took the megaphone.

"I'm sorry Haruhi! They forced me to come!"

_And by great, I mean evidently a nightmare._

…

"My! What dashing young men you are! These hunks must belong to Haruhi! And this gorgeous girl! You must belong to one of these hunks, don't you?" a man named Misuzu asked.

Big surprise though, he was a transvestite.

"Another fluttering tranny?" Tamaki asked.

"Why don't you call me Misuzu-chi!"

"He's an old friend of Ranka's," Kyoya said. "They used to work together at the same shop years ago."

"Well, naturally you would know," Tamaki said annoyed.

"Kill me," Haruhi muttered.

"I went into business for myself two years ago! And believe you me, running this pension is like living a fairy tale!" Misuzu said as he spun around in circles, waving his arms around.

"Is Haru-chan like your indentured servant?" Honey-senpai asked.

"She's more like an unpaided employee. This also happens to be Ranka's preferred way of keeping track of his daughter while he's busy working."

"What the? How do you know all of this stuff?" Tamaki asked.

"Kill me," Haruhi muttered again.

"'Take my little girl under your wing' he says. He practically begged me. And since I still can't afford the expensive hired help, it works out for everyone. She's a model employee really. It's such a shame I can't pay her anything. Oh, tell me boys, what do you think of this cute little apron she's wearing? I made it myself!"

"You are quite an exquisite seamstress," Tamaki said.

…

Now they were outside, enjoying some tea, sitting at a table. "A job huh?" Kaoru asked.

"I don't get it," Hikaru said. "You turned down our trip to Bali for this?"

"And we even asked her to go with us to Switzerland," Honey-senpai said. "Didn't we?"

"We did," Mori-senpai said.

"What is wrong with you Haruhi?" Rin asked.

"You're not much fun, are you?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, well I still don't have a passport, remember?"

"Which is precisely why I recommended one of our domestic resorts," Kyoya said. "And at a discount no less."

Out of nowhere, Tamaki jumped out of the bushes. "Traitors," he said. "Asking Haruhi to go on a summer vacation with you behind my back. Have you no feeling of loyalty? Of any solitude?" He then fell to his hands and knees. "Togetherness is our guiding principal. I worked myself to the bone to uphold that and this the thanks I get."

"Why was your cell phone-" Hikaru said.

"Turned off?" Kaoru asked.

"I just don't think about it really," Haruhi said.

"Did you say, you have a cell phone?" Tamaki asked as he walked over.

Haruhi pulled out a red one. Hikaru pulled out a blue one. Kaoru pulled out an orange one and Rin pulled out a yellow one with red stripes on it.

"We convinced Haruhi that she should borrow one of ours, to keep in touch," Hikaru said. "And we gave one to Rin because she desperately need one.

"It's part of a friends and family plan," Kaoru said.

"Yeah, we're in each other's top five," Hikaru said.

"TOP FIVE?!" Tamaki exclaimed. He then imagined the four first years skipping, holding hands in a path of flowers. "Friends and…family? But what, I'm your daddy and buddy. I'm part of the plan too, right?"

"No way in hell," Rin said.

"Senpai, whatever planet you're on, come home," Haruhi said.

"No, he can stay there."

"Speaking of which, why are you guys even here?" she asked. "I'm gonna have to see you guys every day when the new term starts. Don't I have the right to spend my summer vacation the way I want too?"

"According to the handbook, jobs are prohibited," Kyoya said.

"I uh, had no idea," Haruhi said, her voice cracking.

"Hey, did ya hear?" Hikaru asked. "Haruhi went got herself a job without the school's permission."

"No way," Kaoru said. "That's grounds for expulsion."

"I think Karuizawa is way better than Switzerland anyway," Honey-senpai as he clung onto Mori-senpai's back, reading a Karuizawa Guidebook. Mori-senpai nodded.

"And overseas travel is so exhausting," Kyoya said.

"No kidding, it's also expensive," Rin said.

"Of course, you have to right to spend your summer vacation as you please, but then, like it or not, so do we," Tamaki said. "And you know, I for one find Pension Misuzu exceptionally charming."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Haruhi screamed as she held her head before she fell to the ground, groaning in misery.

…

_Tamaki stirred as he woke up, lifting his head off the soft pillow. _

"_Rise and shine, my sleepy headed senpai," he heard Haruhi say from the door. "Haruhi's made a special breakfast, just for you!" She then placed the breakfast tray on a nearby bench. _

"_Oh, how lovely," he said as he grabbed her chin. "Come sit with me, stay a while."_

"_No, I couldn't," she said as she moved away. "I'm a servant here and you're one of our honoured guests. It's not allowed."_

"_But who's to find out if it's just the two of us?" She then gasped as he pulled her down onto the bed, sitting her in his lap. "Stay here with me and silly rules will no longer matter."_

"_Senpai," she stuttered out as she blushed._

…

"Uh, senpai?" Haruhi asked as Tamaki was stuck in his day dream.

That was 'The Theatre of Tamaki's Mind (in Karuizawa)'.

"Hello?" she asked annoyed.

…

"I'm sorry boys. I'd love to have you all as guests but I'm afraid there's only one vacant room left," Misuzu said.

"What about Rin?" Ren asked.

"Oh her. I'm not exactly sure if she would want to share a room with Haruhi. I'm afraid there's only one room left still, regardless of how cute she is~!"

"Only one room you say? Well, that settles it," Tamaki said. "I'll have to stay here and represent the club."

"Hey, that isn't fair," Honey-senpai wined.

"Have you no feeling of loyalty?" Hikaru asked. "Of any solidarity boss?"

"Togetherness is our guiding principal," Kaoru said. The twins looked at each other, smirking.

"My own words, twisted, and thrown right back in my face."

"Here's an idea," Hikaru said. "We bet you'll like it. Why not hold a little competition?"

"Call it, 'The Guest Relations Odd-Jobs Contest at Pension Misuzu'," Kaoru said and Tamaki perked up.

"It's very simple. We all just lend a hand around the place for the afternoon."

"And whoever makes the greatest impression on Misuzu-chi, gets to sleep in the vacant guest bedroom."

"That's brilliant! I think that's an absolutely delightful idea!" Misuzu said. "Yes, the winner of the contest will be determined by how refreshing they are. Remember, refreshing is the name of the game and guest relations."

"Refreshing! Refreshing! Yay!" the twins cheered.

"Don't forget. I'm in this one too," Rin said with a smirk.

"Now, don't think this is going to be a walk in the park! Cause I plan on working you boys to the bone!"

"Ughhh, sounds like a blast," Haruhi groaned as she realised how her summer vacation…was now over.

* * *

**AND SO…**

Tamaki was hammering away at a nail as Honey-senpai watched, eating some cake. They were supposed to be fixing the fence.

"You may not believe this, but this is the first time I've ever held a hammer in my life," Tamaki said.

"Just watching you work makes me tired," Honey-senpai said.

"You there!" Misuzu said. "No complaining. A three point deduction." The two gasped dramatically. Because of this, Tamaki smashed his thumb with the hammer. His thumb was red and throbbing as he fell to the ground, crying.

"The pain," he whimpered. "The pain."

"And no wining. Another three points." Honey-senpai stood in front of Misuzu, giggling and acting cute. "You think that's gonna change my mind?" He froze. Misuzu left the two depressed as he went off to find the others.

…

"Welcome," the twins said as they turned around. The two female newcomers blushed as they felt a refreshing breeze go past them, red rose petals flying past.

"W-We have reservations made for a second floor bedroom," one of the girls said.

"Yes, of course. Right this way ladies," Hikaru said.

"We've been expecting you," Kaoru said as the two led them up the stairs. "But we weren't expecting you to be so young and pretty."

"Fine, fine," Misuzu said with a smile as he watched them. "Not exactly subtle but they do get the job done, so five refresher points for them." Mori-senpai walked over. "Oh Mori, the legs on this table are wobbly. Would you be a dear and fix it out back please?" Mori-senpai then lifted up the table.

"Sure thing," he said as he walked away.

"Oooh, nothing wasted in word or deed. Five refresher points!"

"So, what's a refresher point?" Haruhi asked.

"Haruhi, what do you think guests are after when they come all the way out for vacation here in Karuizawa?"

"Let's see, the nice weather?" Haruhi asked.

"Oh it's much more than that. They come for what they can't get in the city. Refreshing air, refreshing scenery, and refreshingly gorgeous young men! And now, thanks to your friends and their contest, my pension will have a reputation for being the premier host spot for vacationers in search of the finest eye candy Karuizawa can offer!"

"Okay, sounds like you have a plan. And it's uncanny how much you remind me of someone else I know," Haruhi said, referring to Renge Hoshakuji.

…

The bell rang again as the door opened, revealing two boys. "Welcome gentlemen, how can I help you?" Rin asked. She had changed into wearing the cute apron that Misuzu had made.

"Uh, we're here for a reservation on the second floor," the first one said, feeling a nice cool breeze go past him.

"Of course, we've been expecting you. Why don't you follow me to your room? I'm sure you gentlemen will enjoy your stay here. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." She smiled cutely at them as she led them up the stairs.

"Now this competition is really heating up! Five refresher points to the lovely lady!" Misuzu said from the bottom of the stairs.

…

_Why does it always feel like I bring the host club with me where ever I go? _Haruhi thought as she walked outside.

She then noticed Kyoya and Ren sitting at a table together, drinking tea. "Kyoya-senpai, Ren-senpai, you're keeping your distance from this," Haruhi stated as she walked over.

"Of course, winning means I'd have to stay here alone, which doesn't appeal to me," Kyoya said.

"Plus, Rin wants to win. There's no point in me competing for it if my little sister's competing as well," Ren said.

"That's very nice of you," Haruhi said smiling.

"I'll just sit back and watch things unfold and head for the cottage," Kyoya said with a smirk.

"The cottage?" Haruhi asked. "You mean, your families?"

"That's right. We all have one in the area. All expect the Hayashi's, but they stay at the twins' cottage."

_Then why make such a fuss about staying here?_

"So who's your favourite to win?" Kyoya asked. "There must be someone you have in mind? Do you care to bet?"

"Well, I'd rather Rin win, but I don't want to bet. I don't have a clue who'd actually win."

"Really? It's easy enough to tell at a glance. Honey-senpai's brand of cute doesn't quite fit Misuzu's notion of profession. So I'm afraid he's out. Tamaki comes a little closer to the ideal, provided he keeps his mouth shut. But, we all know the likelihood of that."

"So, that's a no," Ren said and Kyoya nodded.

"Ordinarily you think Hikaru and Kaoru." Suddenly they heard the sound of wood being chopped so they turned to look. The girls inside did the same as they looked out the window. "Then again, seems we have a dark horse."

It was Mori-senpai, shirtless, holding an axe in his hands. He chopped down some firewood, for some reason, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He took a sip of water, the girls inside sighing.

"So refreshing," one of the girls said.

"That's twenty more refresher points for Mori!"

"So you think he's the one?" Haruhi asked.

"Except if Honey-senpai drops out, Mori-senpai is bound to go along with him. His competing in the game is more or less conditional to that."

"You don't think Rin will win?"

"Oh, she's got a great chance. Maybe an even better chance than the twins. But, if Misuzu prefers the refreshing qualities of males better, I think we know how it will end."

"So that means-" Hikaru started.

"Victory, will be ours," Kaoru finished.

"Hey, not so fast boys," Rin said as she walked over. "There is, as Kyoya said, a great chance for me." She smirked.

"What are you wearing?" Ren asked.

"An apron? I thought I'd dress for the occasion."

"You are weird," he said back. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"As Rin said, you might now win. I couldn't help but notice that the only room available has a single bed. So, if you won, you couldn't both stay," Haruhi said.

"No big deal, you can just bring another bed over from the cottage," Hikaru said.

"Yeah, we could even squeeze into the single," Kaoru said.

"That's so cute," Rin said as she hugged onto Hikaru's arm.

"How sweet. I guess you guys really are always together," Haruhi said with a smile.

"Always," Kaoru said.

"The two of us have been together since we were born," Hikaru said. "So we haven't ever needed anyone else."

"We never bothered making any friends until a few years ago. We thought the world was made up of idiots."

"Well, that is kind of true," Ren muttered.

"But then, well, that was before we met you two," Hikaru said.

"We'd totally let you two sleep with us."

"Uh thanks, I'll pass," Haruhi said.

"Yeah, I'm not sleeping anywhere near you after that stunt you pulled this morning," Rin said.

"You heard about that?" he asked.

"Kaoru told me." He glared at Kaoru who smiled.

"I'll get you later," Hikaru told him.

"I'll be waiting," Kaoru said smirking.

"The contest isn't quite decided yet," Kyoya said. "There is a number of ways to make this game more interesting."

_This guy's always got something up his sleeve. Does that qualify as refreshing?_

"Oh yeah? Thinking of helping the boss are you?" Kaoru asked.

"We're not going to lose. It's no use," Hikaru said.

"We'll see about that," Rin said as Kyoya smirked.

…

"There, all in a day's work," Tamaki said as he stood up, trying to be refreshing as he held his hand to his head. He may look refreshing, but his work was crap.

"Your repairs are totally unrefreshing. Three point deduction," Misuzu said as he walked away. Tamaki gasped. He then crouched and became depressed.

"He used so much of his energy on trying to be refreshing that his work suffered for it," Haruhi stated. "Is he alright in the head?"

"He's never had an actual job before, ya know," Kyoya said.

"And there the twins go again," Ren said pointing.

…

They saw the twins laughing as Hikaru grabbed the hose and started spraying Kaoru.

"Hey, cut it out! That's cold," Kaoru said while laughing.

"We have to chill the watermelon," Hikaru said. "That's how our guests like it." The girls near them squealed.

"So refreshing," they sighed.

"Boys, mind if I borrow the hose?" Rin asked as she walked over.

"And what do you need it for?" they asked.

"I have to water the flowers. They need to bloom. I've noticed how much the ladies here love looking at the beautiful flowers," she said with a smile and the girls sighed. "And of course, beautiful ladies should be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery."

"She's so cute!"

"So refreshing," they squealed as she started watering the flowers with a blush on her face.

"Twenty refresher points to Rin!" Misuzu called.

…

Tamaki fell to his hands and knees.

_I'll lose to those two idiots if this keeps up. And though I'm sure Haruhi would love some company of the same gender, she needs a father's influence. Failure is not an option. Haruhi's respect for me is on the line. _

"SHE HAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT I'M WORTHY OF BEING CONSIDERED PART OF HER TOP FIVE!"

"Glanderous ambitions aside, I think your approach to winning is a bit skewed," Kyoya said as he walked over.

"Kyoya, can't you see that her esteem for me as a father figure hangs in the balance?"

"If I may offer some advice, there is something only you and a certain other person can pull off. That is, if you chose the right music." Tamaki gasped as he caught on.

…

The pension filled with beautiful music, coming from the white grand piano in the dining area. The guests from upstairs came down to listen to the music. The guests in the dining area were delighted. Even people from outside came to look.

"Come on, let's drop in for some tea," a girl said.

"Alright," her boyfriend said as the two walked in.

It was of course, Tamaki playing the piano. Misuzu was amazed at the beautiful music, distracting Mori-senpai from finishing his work.

…

_So much for us, _Kaoru thought as he smiled.

"Kaoru? You're out here alone?" Haruhi asked, carrying a laundry basket. "Where's Hikaru?"

"He went to go get some trash bags for us."

"Oh," she said as she walked past. "Do you still think you'll win?"

"I don't know. Kyoya-senpai has created a monster. The boss didn't even know this place had a piano until he pointed it out to him."

…

Hikaru sighed as he went out into the storage room. The lights were off and the room was pitch black. His hand searched the wall for the light switch until he finally found it. He finally flicked it on and jumped, holding his breath.

"Boo!" Rin screamed as she jumped out at him.

"Bloody hell Rin!" he cursed and she laughed.

"You should have seen your face. It was too cute!" she said.

"Really?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for some trash bags. What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for a dust pan." She then sighed as she listened to the beautiful music playing. "If only I'd known."

"What?"

"If only I'd known there was a piano. I could have used that to my advantage."

"Oh well. What's done is done."

"You said it," she sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'd hate to admit it, but this music is so peaceful."

"Yeah, it is," he said as he sighed, enjoying the moment.

…

Two girls opened their window, wanting to hear the beautiful music better. They sighed happily as the music filled their room. Unfortunately, the flower vase on their window sill get knocked from the window opening and fell off the window sill. One of the girls gasped loud enough for Haruhi to look up.

Kaoru gasped as he lunged forward. "Look out!" he yelled as he pushed her out of the way. Everything went silent as everyone heard the vase smash onto the wood.

…

"What was that?" Rin asked as her head shot up. "It sounded like it came from outside." Hikaru gasped.

"Kaoru," he said and her eyes widened. Both of them rushed out of the storage room and out of the pension.

…

"I'm so sorry! Are you two alright?" the girl asked from the window. Luckily, Kaoru and Haruhi had gotten away in time. The water from the vase flowed over the wood, the flower petals being scattered around the vase. Kaoru lifted his head.

"Don't worry! We're okay!" he yelled back. "Right?" he asked Haruhi, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Uh yeah, thanks," Haruhi said smiling.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru called as he rushed over. Haruhi noticed that Rin followed not too far behind.

"Haruhi, Kaoru, are you okay?" Rin asked.

"I'm fine," Haruhi said as she sat up.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he said with a smile. He only then noticed the scratch on his cheek. He touched it with surprise, like he hadn't even felt it when it happened.

"You're hurt. Let me see," Hikaru said as he grabbing Kaoru's shoulder, making him face him.

"I'm fine. It's only a little cut." Hikaru sighed with relief as he lowered his head, resting on Kaoru's shoulder. "Hikaru?"

"Don't scare me like that."

"Hey, I'm sorry. Do you…forgive me?" he asked with a smile. Hikaru lifted his head. The two smiled at each other.

"Bravo! Bravo!" Misuzu said as he cried. "One hundred points for refreshing brotherly love! A perfect score! And the victory goes to….the Hitachiin brothers!"

…

Tamaki slammed down on the keys as he gasped, finding it suddenly hard to breath. "So begins…the long dark night…of my soul," he said as everything around him seemed to turn black.

…,

"Congrats you guys," Haruhi said.

"Well done you two," Rin said as she patted them on the back.

"Oh, it was nothing really," they said creepily.

"Wait, hang on a second," Haruhi said twitching. "Was all of that…staged?"

"Well now, who could say?" the twins said.

Inside, Kyoya, Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai stared at a depressed Tamaki who had slammed his head against the keys.

…

"Don't think I forgot about you Rin," Misuzu said once they all come back inside and into the dining area.

"What do you mean?" Honey-senpai asked.

"For having the second highest score, I decided that she gets to share the double bed with my darling worker, Haruhi!"

"…WHAT?!" Tamaki screamed.

"That wasn't part of the rules," Haruhi said.

"Don't you remember? I was the judge so I get to make the rules! Besides, she's a cute little girl. She can bring in more customers and she work with you. I mean, she's already wearing the apron I made, which looks so cute on you!" He grabbed Rin's shoulders. "Wouldn't be fun to do some feminine bonding Haruhi?" Misuzu asked as he grabbed the two girls' shoulders.

"Oh wonderful," Haruhi muttered, though she was happy she wouldn't have to work so hard. If Rin did half of the work, she could get to finish her studies for the summer.

"This is going to be great!" Rin said, happy that she still got to stay here, even if she didn't win.

"If I had known that, I would have played the piano all day! How is this fair?!" Tamaki cursed.

"Get over it. You lost. Deal with it," Rin said smirking. Tamaki turned white and went into the corner.

"Damn it. I just got him out of that," Kyoya sighed.

…

Inside the guest bedroom, the twins were sitting on their new bed. Hikaru clutched onto Kaoru's hand, shaking.

"I'm okay, I promise," Kaoru said, a Band-Aid on his face, covering the scratch. "You should we won without having to go to the quarrelling brother's strategy. Well?"

* * *

The next morning, Kaoru woke up on the floor. Hikaru was lying on the edge of the bed, still asleep. It seems that in the middle of the night, Hikaru had kicked him out of bed.

…

"Come on, I said I was sorry. What do you want me to do?" Hikaru asked as the twins walked down the stairs. "I didn't mean to kick you out of bed. It was an accident." Haruhi and Rin both turned around towards the staircase.

"Accident or not, my back is killing me," Kaoru said. The two then sat down at a table and the two went over to serve them.

"Good morning?" Rin asked with a smirk as she leaned down and kissed Hikaru on the cheek.

"Oh yeah, it's really peachy," he said. "Get us some breakfast, please?" he asked Haruhi. "I'll have two pieces of baguette toast with clarified butter garnet-sealed syrup."

"I'll take poached eggs with bacon and a bowel of whole grain cereal," Kaoru said. Haruhi looked at them nervously. "The kind with those little bits of dry fruit in them."

"Hold on," Haruhi started.

"That stuff isn't on the menu," Rin said.

"Huh?" they exclaimed. Tamaki then jumped at them and punched them in the head.

"Just who in the world do you think you are?" he asked. "Acting like members of a privileged aristocracy on holiday!"

"We are aristocracy," Hikaru said.

"So are you boss," Kaoru said.

"And for that matter, so is Rin," they said in unison.

"I got forced to work here so I could stay here. There's a difference," Rin said, crossing her arms over her apron.

"You are missing the whole point of travel. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That's what I say. Look at this," he said as he lifted the lid off of a circle tray, revealing numerous types of delicious food. "Karuizawa cuisine fit for a king! Cold pasteurised Jersey steaks, fresh juice, highland vegetables, smoked salmon cooked over cherry wood. Local pride I might add. And last but not least, freshly baked bread with homemade jam. Bon appetite!" Tamaki hid something behind his back.

"Since when have you-" Hikaru started.

"Been such a connoisseur?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh, since he's been learning from Misuzu," Haruhi said. "He's been in the kitchen with him all morning long."

"While the two of you were sleeping the day away, I decided to start a Refreshing Host Workshop. I even wrote a manual." He then handed the four a manual and they started reading it.

"You really need a life," Haruhi groaned.

"While you are acting as my apprentice, you may not treat me as your senpai. That is the first rule I have written."

"Oh really?" Haruhi asked. Rin gasped as she saw one of the rules and suddenly slammed her head against the table. "Uh, what's wrong with her?"

"She must have read Rule No. 5," Kaoru said.

"What's Rule No. 5?" Haruhi asked.

"It says we have to be up by 6am," Hikaru said.

"Have Kyoya-senpai and Honey-senpai read through the manual yet?" Kaoru asked and Tamaki suddenly became very scared.

"Don't forget about the Hayashi's," Haruhi said. "They both hate being woken up early as well." Tamaki then remembered.

**Kyoya **had the eyes of the **Devil.**

**Honey-senpai **had the eyes of a **Beast, **along with Usu-chan.

**Ren **had the eyes of a **Monster** and…

**Rin** had the eyes of a **Killer**. A serial killer.

Tamaki started crying as he hid in the corner.

"Hey look, we're sorry boss," Hikaru said.

"We didn't mean to stir up painful memories," Kaoru said. Haruhi sighed as she tried to get Rin back to normal.

The little bell rang as the door opened. "Good morning," the voice said. "Arai produce." It was a teenage boy with a blue hat on his head. He closed the door behind him, carrying a box of vegetables in his hands.

"Good morning to you," Misuzu said as he walked over. "Working boy eh? A high schooler?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm helping out at my uncle's shop for the summer."

"HOW REFRESHING!" he screamed, causing the boy to flinch. "Haruhi! Would you put these in the refrigerator for me?"

"Okay," Haruhi said as she walked over. The boy's hat dropped to the ground as he gasped.

"Haruhi…Fujioka?" he asked. Haruhi stopped walking and her eyes widened.

"Hey, Arai," she said as they stared at each other. The twins and Tamaki rushed over, staring in confusion.

"…Huh?" they asked in unison.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Ooooh, cliff-hanger. This episode was amazing. I loved it so much. And the cliff-hanger is amazing too.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Operation Rin and Kyoya's Last Date!**

"Haruhi…Fujioka?" he asked. Haruhi stopped walking and her eyes widened.

"Hey, Arai," she said as they stared at each other.

"So uh, these your friends?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. This is Hikaru and Kaoru. They're in my class. And this is my sen-"

_"While you are acting as my apprentice, you may not treat me as your senpai."_

"An acquaintance of mine."

Misuzu slammed down on the piano keys as Tamaki felt like he had been struck with lightning.

"Misuzu," Tamaki whimpered. "Please don't add any sound effects to my moment of despair."

"Oh, sorry," he said with a smile on his face.

"Haruhi~!" She turned around and saw Rin standing behind her.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"Oh, this is Arai. Arai, this is Rin. She's also in my class."

"Pleasure to meet you," Rin said as she smiled.

"Uh, yeah, s-same here," he stuttered blushing.

…

"I haven't seen you since graduation," Haruhi said.

"Yeah, you cut all your hair off. It's such a shame," Arai said.

"I don't think so. I mean, since I've cut it, it has been easier to manage." She then played with a small strand of hair.

"So, how's Ouran treating you? Do you keep in touch with anyone from middle school anymore?"

"Yeah, a little. Kazumi still calls me. What about you?"

…

"So, then he's a friend of Haruhi's from middle school?" Kyoya asked. The hosts were all at the other side of the room.

"They've had zero contact since graduation so in my opinion, they're not friends, just former classmates," Hikaru said.

"I'd hate to say it, but he's jealous," Rin whispered to Kaoru.

"Yeah, how are you feeling about this?" he asked.

"Terrible," she said with a saddened look on her face.

…

"So these guys, are all in a club with you?" Arai asked.

"Host club," Haruhi said dryly.

"Oh, is that so. Even Rin?"

"Even Rin."

"Interesting."

"Hey! Haruhi! Shouldn't you be working? You shouldn't be slacking off!" Hikaru called, holding his drink up.

"Misuzu said I could take a break," Haruhi said. "Plus, Rin's still working. Get her to do it." Rin glared at her.

"You just had to rub it in," she muttered as she snatched his drink out his hand and went to refill it.

Haruhi turned around when she heard the sound of paper ripping. She noticed Tamaki, away from everyone, crouched, ripping up pieces of paper. "Hey! Quit making more garbage I'll have to take out."

"It's not garbage. I'm making a hamster home."

"But senpai, you don't have a hamster."

"I'm not your senpai. I'm just an acquaintance of yours."

"Oh cut the crap Tamaki," Rin said as she walked over and smacked him in the head.

"Ow! That was uncalled for!"

"Deal with it!"

"THAT IS NO WAY TO TALK TO YOUR FATHER!"

"You're not my father," Rin said and he gasped.

"Wow, you knew you Ouran guys were so funny," Arai said as he chuckled. "You know, it's such a prestigious school. I've always imagined it was a whole other world."

"It's a whole different world alright," Haruhi said.

"To be honest with you Fujioka, I was kind of worried that you were gonna have a hard time going to such an elite school. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"Aww! That is so cute!" Rin said as her eyes sparkled. Arai blushed at Haruhi's smile and at Rin's cuteness.

"Who are you, Renge?" Haruhi asked. Rin glared.

"But uh, it's not like I was the only one worried about you, lots of people were," Arai said as he put his hand through his hair. "A-And it's not that cute. Unlike you." He muttered the last part under his breath, but Hikaru still heard it.

"What's with him? He's trying to use the 'Refreshing Innocence' approach. Someone should tell him we already had a refreshing contest," Hikaru said bitterly.

"You're being unusually critical," Kyoya said.

"Yeah, what's with you today?" Ren asked.

"I'm just saying, it's obvious this guy's got a thing for the both of them. It's sickening to watch him try and flirt." Arai looked away, slightly embarrassed.

Haruhi slammed her hands against the table as she stood up. "Hikaru! What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked. "Quit acting like such a jerk!"

"Haruhi, calm down," Rin said.

"Hey, don't worry about it. He's right, I did have a thing for you once," Arai said nervously. Tamaki, the twins and Rin gasped. "But who cares, you already turned me down." All the members of the host club were shocked. Haruhi was the most shocked.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Kyoya asked.

"Uh, I didn't know," she said shocked.

"You have to fill us in on this story Arai," Tamaki said as he rushed over. "When did this happen?"

"Well, it happened about a year ago," he started…

**MIDDLE SCHOOL, 3RD YEAR – SUMMER**

_Arai ran down the halls of their middle school. He caught sight of her. "Fujioka!" he called out and she turned around. _

_She had long hair that reached her mid back and had a full fringe. He stopped to catch his breath as she stopped walking. _

_"I heard, you're taking the honour student exam for Ouran Academy." She nodded. "You are? Well, you might just make it in with your grades. Although, I was sure you'd be going to Higashi High."_

_"I'm taking the test for Higashi too," she said. "I don't know if I'll be accepted into Ouran."_

_"Yeah, well, I guess I'll just cheer for you. I'd of liked to go to the same high school as you."_

_"Well, okay then. You really should have said something to me sooner."_

_"You mean…"_

_"I'm pretty sure Ouran is awarding more than one honour scholarship."_

_"Oh…that." Haruhi smiled, not understanding._

_"And even if there is only one, you can't give up going to the school of your dreams for someone else's sake. If only one of us gets in, there won't be any hard feelings, right? We should both do our best. I know, let's go and ask the counsellor about it." She turned around to walk away._

_"Fujioka!" Arai called as he grabbed her hand. She turned around, shocked at his actions. "I…I want…I want you to go with me!"_

_"Yeah, I wanted to check the application deadline too. Let's go to the staffroom together." Arai sighed. He saw that one coming._

_…_

Haruhi was in shock. How could she have been that clueless?  
"Haruhi," Kyoya said with a stern tone. "You broke this innocent man's heart just to get a laugh from some sick joke?"

"Uh no, I didn't understand what he meant," Haruhi said, feeling like she was being interrogated by the police.

"This crime is pretty serious huh?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai replied. She suddenly turned around.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she bowed.

"Huh? So you're turning me down a whole year later?" Arai asked. "Don't worry Fujioka, I'm over it already. You didn't realise what I meant which means you weren't interested. But you know, I was always drawn to that far off look in your eyes. And the way you'd look someone in the eyes when you spoke to them, I liked that about you. I always thought you were special."

"You think that much of my little girl?" Tamaki asked as he grabbed both of Arai's wrists. "Don't worry, I'll never forget your gallantry."

"But what, if that's how you felt about Haru-chan, then why did you become flustered around Rin-chan?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Yes, please explain this," Kyoya said with a glare.

"Well, uh," Arai started.

"Don't worry Arai, you don't have to say anything," Rin said as she touched him on the shoulder. "Don't feel pressured." Arai noticed the hand on his shoulder and turned around. He looked at the smiling Rin and blushed.

"That's it! You like my darling daughter because of how innocent and cute she is! That's why, isn't it?" Tamaki asked. Arai looked from him to Rin who gently smiled.

"T-That's not the only reason. Even though I've only known you for about an hour or so, you seem really kind and gentle. You make me feel like I've known you forever, just because of your smile." Tamaki blushed, tears gushing out of his eyes.

"That's nice of you Arai," Rin said.

"T-Thanks," he stuttered.

"You think that of my precious little girl?" Tamaki asked.

"Stop calling me little. Just because I'm the youngest, doesn't mean anything!" Rin shouted and Tamaki whimpered. Arai started to laugh.

At the other side of the room, Hikaru picked up his recently filled drink and nosily slurped it, causing Kaoru to look at him with concern.

…

"Wow, you guys went to Kyoto for your middle school field trip," Honey-senpai asked. Kyoya, Tamaki, Mori-senpai, Honey-senpai, Arai and Haruhi were all sitting at a table. "How unusual that you stayed in the country."

"Nah, it's quite normal for us really," Arai said.

"You know, I've always been a big fan of Kyoto," Tamaki said.

"I can't tell you how many times he's made me tour the towers with him," Kyoya said.

Arai then looked down at his drink, noticing that it had somehow emptied. He didn't even need to say a word as Rin came down with orange juice and poured him a new drink.

"T-Thank you," he said. Still nervous about what he said to her earlier. She nodded and smiled as she walked away.

Over on the other side of the room, Kaoru and Hikaru sat by themselves. "What should we do? They're having a good time over there. We could join them," Kaoru said.

"No, I'm not going too. I can't believe the boss is hanging out with the jerk," Hikaru said bitterly. Kaoru looked at him in shock.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" Tamaki called. "Get over here. This might be our only chance to hear what Haruhi was like in middle school."

"Sorry, but I'm not interested," Hikaru said. "Man, how stupid can you guys get? Where's the fun in sitting around and talking about somebody's past? I don't see the appeal. Besides, doesn't that guy realise that Haruhi and Rin don't want anything to do with him?" Haruhi then stood up.

"They've got plenty of friends." Haruhi walked over to him. "So they don't need you around." Haruhi raised her hand as she smacked him across the face.

"That's not something for you to decide Hikaru," Haruhi yelled. "I'm not gonna tolerate you insulting my friends. You got that!"

"Are you okay?" Rin asked softly as she rushed over to him, seeing the red mark on his cheek. "Haruhi, you really didn't have to go that far and Hikaru, you need to calm down."

"But why…why should anyone else even matter to you?" Hikaru asked and Haruhi gasped. "I thought we were your friends! And I thought I was your boyfriend Rin! Aren't we or are we?!"

Everything around them went silent.

"Hikaru," Rin started but he ran out of the room.

"Hikaru! Wait!" Kaoru called as he rushed after him. They ran the stairs and towards their room.

"They're world is still so small. It's such a shame," Tamaki said. Rin sighed as she sat down on the chair.

"He's…doubting my love for him," she mumbled to herself, shocked to hear herself even say those words out loud.

"Rin," Haruhi whispered as she patted her on the back.

"I'm so sorry," Arai said as he stood up and walked to her.

"It's alright Arai, you didn't know," Haruhi said with a slight smile. "Hikaru's just a bit overemotional."

"No, it's my fault. I'm sorry Rin, please, forgive me."

"Arai, it's alright. I forgive you," she said, lifting her head up. He smiled to her and she nodded, feeling guilty.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Have you no shame?"

"What are you talking about Kyoya?" Tamaki asked.

"Your 'boyfriend' is upstairs, angry and upset. What kind of girlfriend goes and starts flirting with the person he dislikes the most? Seems pretty unorthodox to me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rin asked.

"Denying it huh? What else do you want to deny? Didn't you swear off boys to your brother? Didn't you say that you would never have romantic feelings for anyone else?"

"Kyoya! How could you say something like that?" Haruhi asked.

"It's alright Haruhi. I would have expected nothing else from the cold hearted shadow king," Rin said in coldly as she stood up and walked out of the room.

They heard the door shut as she walked upstairs and into Haruhi's room to think.

"You bastard!" Ren shouted as he charged for him.

"Ren-chan," Honey-senpai said.

"Don't do it," Mori-senpai said as the two held him back.

"Let me at him! He hurt my sister! Again!"

"Kyoya," Tamaki said darkly. He nodded.

"I'll excuse myself," he said as he walked out the pension. The remaining five members stood with Arai in silence.

"He's still bitter," Haruhi said.

"It's more like Kyo-chan is hiding how he really feels."

Mori-senpai nodded with a grunt.

"He's jealous that she's moved on and he hasn't," Tamaki said. Ren looked at the stairs before he sighed and walked up them.

…

Kaoru knocked on the open door as he walked into the room, seeing Hikaru sitting on their bed.

"That's some temper you've got there. Aren't you a bit old for that?" Kaoru asked.

"Don't pretend like you weren't upset too," Hikaru said.

"Well, maybe I was. But I'm more rational than you." Kaoru then smiled as he walked over and sat on the bed. "I don't think I've ever seen you act so selfishly before. Like a little child. Haruhi was surprised. Rin looked like she wanted to cry."

"Well, I couldn't help it. I was really upset but I can't figure out why."

_He's in love with her, that's why. _

"Here's an idea. Why don't you go apologise to Arai?"

…

"I'm really sorry Arai," Haruhi said as the remaining five members stood outside. Arai stood beside his bicycle.

"It's okay," he said. "I don't know what I did, but he sure seemed to set him off, didn't it?" Then, the door opened and Honey-senpai turned around.

"Hika-chan," Honey-senpai said and the others turned around.

He walked down the steps and towards them. "I was out of line…I'm sorry."

"Thanks, don't worry about it. Well, see ya soon Fujioka!" he said as he sat on his bicycle and started pedalling away. "Bye guys!"

"Bye Bye~!" Honey-senpai yelled as he waved spastically. The others members waved as they watched him leave.

"So Kaoru, tell me why you're pretending to be Hikaru," Haruhi said and the other members gasped. "Hey! What happened to that scratch on your cheek?" She pulled his cheek.

"I just covered it up with some concealer. Don't worry about Hikaru, he'll get over his temper once Rin goes in there and talks to him. He just needs reassurance."

…

"Rin, it's me," Ren said as he opened the door. He saw her sitting on the bed with her head down, wiping her eyes.

"Hi Ren," she said. Ren closed the door as he walked to her.

"Rin, I know how much you hate it, but you have to be the better person. You've always been good at that."

"I've been the bigger person my whole life! And why do I have to suffer for it? I know what I did was wrong, but he doesn't have to make me feel like a horrible person for it!"

Ren sighed as he sat on the bed, pulling her in for a hug. "Why must you think you always do something wrong?" he asked softly. "You did nothing wrong here. No matter what he says."

"…I know that, but still…"

"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you go talk to him? It'll make the both of you feel better."

…

Rin knocked on the door, hearing some kind of groan. "What?" She opened the door and closed it behind her. She saw a shirtless Hikaru lying under the covers, playing a video game as he faced the wall. She sighed as she walked to the bed.

"Hikaru," she said and he paused the game. He turned around. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What for?" he asked as he sat up.

"…I'm sorry for not saying anything. For not stopping him."

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have overreacted. I, I should have said something to him. It should be me saying sorry."

"Well, are you going to say it?" He smirked.

"You know, you're such a smartass."

"Yeah, but I'm your smartass," she said with a smirk.

"You're such a sap," he said before he stroked her cheek before he kissed her. She kissed him back. Ren and Kaoru looked at each, smiling. They knew it was going to work.

* * *

Rin sighed as she slightly opened her eyes. She noticed that Haruhi had left early. Weird, considering that neither of them had work that day. She noticed that the curtains were drawn back and that the window was slightly open.

"Oh, Mistress Hayashi," someone said.

"You're already up," another person said. She turned around and saw the infamous devil maids, staring at her with a smirk.

"Yes, which means I don't need you two today," she said as she started climbing out of bed. They shook their heads.

"You couldn't be more wrong Mistress."

"Huh?" she said before they grabbed her.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Kaoru and Ren smirked behind the door before they high fived and ran off.

…

She walked down the street with her brother in front of her.

The maids had dressed in a white singlet with a black heart on it, demin shorts, white socks and black sneakers. Her hair was done in a plait and hung over her right shoulder.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon." She didn't like the sly sounding tone in his voice, but she didn't question it. She for some reason felt awkward around him. Maybe it was because she predicted he was going to do something evil. She was right.

She saw Tamaki dragging along an unhappy Kyoya towards them. She gasped as she tried to walk away. She felt Ren grab onto her arm and pull her back. "Remember, be the bigger person," he whispered to her before he pushed her towards them. She turned around, but he was gone.

…

"Remember Kyoya, this is an apology," Tamaki said.

"For what?" he asked and Tamaki glared.

"For how you treated our darling daughter yesterday. You must make it up to her by taking her out today. Got it?"

"If I must," Kyoya said as he sighed. Tamaki smiled before he pushed him in the back and towards her. He turned around, but Tamaki had already run off. He groaned as he turned back to her. She looked slightly taken aback and saddened.

"So, um," she said nervously.

"Alright, I guess I might as well get this out of the way. Neither of us were aware of this, am I correct?" She nodded. "This is all that idiot Tamaki's idea from what I can tell, so let's just get this over with," Kyoya said. She nodded as she looked down.

"Fine by me," she said as she started walking. He followed.

…

"This is not acceptable! I did not approve of this!" Hikaru screamed from inside a bakery. He tried charging for the door but Kaoru had to hold him down.

"Hikaru! Please, calm down," he said while struggling.

"None of us necessarily approve of this, but it has to be done," Haruhi said as she walked towards the window. "She doesn't approve of this either. She looks upset."

"Of course she does, she's stuck on a date with her ex-boyfriend who treated her like crap!" Hikaru screamed.

"Please calm down Hika-chan," Honey-senpai said.

"How can I when my girlfriend is being forced onto a date?!"

"This isn't for her," Ren said and they all turned around. "This is for Kyoya. She's moved on. He hasn't. He doesn't want to admit that either. And their whole relationship is such a big misunderstanding, I'm surprised he's kept it a secret for so long."

"What are you talking about Ren-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"It wasn't Kyoya's choice. He didn't chose to break up with her. That was his father's choice. And I was there to see it."

…

"_Kyoya, as my son, you know how I feel about you dating."_

"_Yes father, I am well aware," Kyoya said in his middle school uniform. Ren hid behind the door, eavesdropping. _

"_And this girl you're dating, a Hayashi, was it?"_

"_Yes, that is correct father." He nodded. _

"_Isn't there family going into bankruptcy?"_

"_Well, not necessarily. They're losing a bit of money but-"_

"_I don't want to hear another word. I cannot let it happen. Do you realise how people will view this family if they found that one of my sons was dating a commoner girl?"_

"_Well, actually, she's not a commo-"_

"_What did I say Kyoya?" Kyoya went silent. "You need to end it with this girl. She's too much trouble for our family."_

"_But father-"_

"_No buts, it must be done. Tomorrow, if you must." Kyoya lowered his head before he sighed. He then looked up with a smile. _

"_As you wish, father." His father nodded. Kyoya walked out the room, his facial expression changing drastically. He was too stuck in his thoughts to notice Ren standing there, shocked._

…

"I tried warning her not to go with him the next day over the phone, but she didn't seem to realise what the danger was going to be. But when she came home, crying and not saying anything, I knew what had happened. I couldn't tell her anything about that day. I couldn't bear to see her hurt any more than she already had been."

"Aww, poor Rin-chan," Honey-senpai said as he wiped his eyes.

"Then why are you leaving the two of them alone?!" Hikaru asked.

"Don't you get it? He needs to tell her. He needs to be forgiven. If he gets her forgiveness, then he'll be able to move on and not hold a grudge against himself for it. That's why he's acted so cold to her. He wants to forget it ever happened. But he can't. He cares for her too much for that to come true."

…

"So, what do you want to do?" Rin asked as they stopped.

"It doesn't matter to me," Kyoya said.

"Well, um, do you mind if I decide?" she asked.

"Go ahead. I couldn't care less to what we do."

"Oh," she said before looking away from them. Kyoya said as he lowered his head, pinching his nose bridge.

_Tamaki is going to pay for this. What did he think was going to happen? That we'd kiss and make up? What an idiot._

…

Tamaki stood behind a wall. The others backed away. He looked like he was going to burst. It seemed like there were flames surrounding him. There his fire in his eyes.

"Nothing's happening! They're just sitting there! Mori-senpai! Pretend you're a thug so Kyoya will go and rescue her!"

"Yeah, I doubt he'd go rescue her," Hikaru said bitterly.

"And even if he did, they recognise us," Haruhi said.

"She's right boss, it wouldn't work," Kaoru said.

"Wait, I've got an idea!" Honey-senpai as he ran in the alley.

…

"Ice cream~! Ice cream for sale~!" a small blonde man wearing a straw hat, a grey moustache and an apron on. He carried a little cart with a sticker of ice cream on the side. The two of them turned around as they watched the 'man' walk past. They quickly felt a strong gust of wind go past them as the 'man' had disappeared. It was Mori-senpai who had grabbed him and ran.

"Bad idea," Mori-senpai said to him.

_What are those idiots doing? That was obviously Honey-senpai. Anyone who couldn't see that is an idiot. _

"Was that Honey-senpai?" Rin asked. He nodded.

"What idiots," he muttered.

"That does sound like a good idea though," she said.

"Excuse me?"

"Ice cream." She stood up. "Haruhi told me earlier that they have the best ice cream here in Karuizawa. I've always wanted to try it." He sighed as he stood up.

"Alright, whatever." He watched as she smiled and walked over to the ice cream stand nearby. She ordered her ice cream and started licking it. She walked back to him.

"Where to next?" she asked. He shrugged. "…Okay then. Let's just walk around until we get bored." She started walking away and he sighed, with a slight smile to his face.

"Whatever you say," he said as he followed her.

…

Ren sighed, a smile on his face. She was opening up more to him. He knew that Kyoya wasn't going to tell her. Maybe it was for the best. Or maybe, he needed to tell her. Of course, it looked like Rin still wanted to be anywhere else than hanging out with Kyoya, but at least she could tolerate being left alone with him.

"So, mission accomplished?" Haruhi asked.

"Almost. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up," Ren said. The others looked at each other, nodding before they walked off. Hikaru was a bit hesitant, but he trusted Ren. He better not let him down.

…

The two sat down a bench, looking bored. The day seemed to be ending. It was about 3 o'clock about now. The sky had changed to a greyish kind of colour, but it was still nice out.

Ren walked behind them and crouched behind the bench. He slowly tapped Kyoya on the shoulder. He turned around and saw him. Luckily, Rin was on her phone, reading the weather report.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Giving you some much needed help," Ren whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"…You need to tell her. The truth. She needs to hear it. You need to admit it. Then you can move on. You can get rid of this grudge you hold against yourself. You can forget it. You both need it."

Kyoya groaned. Even though he hated to admit it, Ren was right. He gave Ren a glare before he turned back around.

"Rin," he said and she popped her head up.

"Yes?" she asked.

"There, is something that I've been needing to tell you."

"Uh, sure, what is it?" she asked, uncertain.

"It's about why our relationship ended." He could see her stiffen as she took a deep breath.

"Can we not talk about this?" she asked.

"Believe me, I'd rather talk about anything else. But, it needs to be said."

"Fine then, hurry up and say it." He sighed as he felt Ren poking him in the middle of his back.

"My father."

"Huh?"

"My father, was the reason. Simple as that. He didn't want me seen with a commoner girl. So he made me end it. What would be the point of disobeying him? He was right. The reputation of my family would be tainted if anyone saw me dating a girl without a well-known and successful family. It's just the hard fact of life."

Ren face palmed. That was not how he was supposed to say it. The two watched as Rin stood up and started walking. "Where do you think you're going?" Kyoya asked.

"The hard fact of life? Is that what you think? I believe it's much more than a 'hard fact of life'. It's a selfish decision made by the both of you. He offered it, and you agreed. Reputation is more important to you than being happy. What a sad life you must live," Rin said before she started walking again.

He made no move to stop her. Ren stood up and walked beside him. "I-I'm sorry Kyoya, I didn't think"

"You were right. I've moved on. I've forgot it. It's finally over," Kyoya said before he walked the other way, towards the pension.

Ren sighed, his face in his hands. He hoped that this would make everything better. Maybe it was best if she never found out.

…

Rin walked down the streets of Karuizawa, hurt and angered. She didn't know if it was because of guilt for the things she said, or the way he made their relationship to be nothing but a passing phase. But he was right. They just weren't right for each other.

The weather started to change. The sky got darker and the wind became a harsh cold breeze. It made shiver. She hated it. She watched as people stopped and stared. Some were gossiping how cute she was, others were wondering if she was alright. She tuned them out as she continued down the path.

But she had quickly realised something. She didn't know the way back to the pension. She was lost in Karuizawa. "Great," she muttered.

…

"I hope they're back soon," Tamaki said as he paced up and down the dining room. Mori-senpai touched his shoulder.

"They'll be fine," he said and Tamaki nodded. The door opened and the host club gasped, happy. But, that changed. They saw Kyoya and Ren walk into the pension.

"Where's Rin?" Haruhi asked as she rushed over.

"She disappeared," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses.

"What do you mean she disappeared?"

"She ran off when she found out the truth," Ren said. "Not to say that I didn't expect her to react, but, she knew what the weather was going to be like. She could be lost."

"YOU BASTARD!" Hikaru screamed as he shoved Kyoya to the wall. Kaoru came running over and tried to pull them away. "You just left her out there! In the middle of a storm! Are you stupid or something? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"Hikaru, you need to calm down," Haruhi said as she helped Kaoru pull him off of Kyoya. Kyoya gasped. He didn't even realise that he was frightened when he was pushed to the wall.

_When the hell did Hikaru become so intimidating?_

Hikaru growled as he grabbed some headphones off the bench and walked to the door.

"Hikaru, where are you going?" Kaoru asked.

"I'm going to help my girlfriend," he said as he walked out.

…

Thunder. Rin screamed. She ran down the streets. She had to find shelter. She saw the lightning strikes and heard the booming sound of thunder. She screamed every time the thunder pounded. She began to cry.

She stopped against a tall tree as she tried to catch her breath and wipe her eyes. Lightning struck and the tree burst into flames. She screamed as she ran from the tree and towards the nearest building. The door had blown open.

…

Hikaru's search became frantic. He heard the thunder clash around him but he didn't seem to care. He kept running. He occasionally asked people if they had seen her. Pretty much all of them said no. One woman though told him that she'd seen her run off toward the burning tree. He gasped as he thanked her and ran again.

Once he reached the burning tree, he looked for any place where she could be hiding. He then noticed a building. A convenience store. It was closed, but the door was wide open. He hurried towards it, knowing the harsh wind had opened it for him, but he prayed to god that she was in there. "Rin?" he called.

…

Haruhi flinched as she excused herself from the room. She, calmly as she could, walked up the stairs and towards her room. Once she entered she slammed the door behind her and started crying. The sound and the sights made her freak out as she jumped onto her bed and wrapped the covers over her head. She started trembling as she wept and whimpered.

"Haruhi!" she heard Tamaki call from outside the door. He didn't even knock as he opened it and saw her frightened form underneath the covers. He quietly shut the door behind him as he entered the room. He walked over to the bed and lightly lifted the covers off of her, seeing her eyes filled with tears.

He couldn't bear it. He pulled her in for a hug, taking her by surprise. Another flash of lightning and a clash of thunder filled the room and she clutched tightly onto his shirt, crying into his chest. "You don't have to be afraid Haruhi. It's okay."

…

He walked into the room, noticing how dark it was. The only light in the room came from the window where the lightning would shine through. Thunder crashed. He heard her sobs.

"Rin?" he called again. He walked over to the counter. The sobs were getting louder. He walked behind it and there she was. Hiding underneath the counter, shaking, covering her ears as she screamed and cried. He couldn't stand to see her like this. He bent down and she finally saw him.

"H-Hikaru," she stuttered out. He shushed her as the thunder clashed again. She wanted to scream but he held his hand over her mouth. Once the rumble stopped for that split second, he put the headphones on her ears and wrapped his arms around her.

"T-Thank you," she whispered and he smiled.

"No problem," he said. She lifted her head, not caring about the loud noises from outside. She leaned up and kissed him. She felt finally at peace, the sound seeming to fade away.

* * *

It was the next day. The sky was sunny and blue once again. Rin smiled as she looked out the window. She was working again today. She heard footsteps behind her and she noted how they sounded. She knew who it was almost immediately.

"Kyoya? What brings you here?" she asked, not bothering to turn around. She heard him sigh and mutter something under his breath. "What was that?"

"I'm…sorry," he said and she had to laugh.

"Well isn't this interesting. The famous shadow king saying sorry to a poor cute little girl? Let me guess," she said turning around. "Tamaki put you up to this? Or maybe Ren?"

"One or the other," he said, getting his composure back.

"Interesting. Whatever, I forgive you. Holding a grudge against you isn't going to solve anything. Neither is it going to prove anything. Besides, I'm supposed to be the bigger person."

"Oh really? That's an intriguing notion, in its own way."

"Anything's an intriguing notion to you," Rin said smirking.

…

The bell rang again as the door opened. "What's up?" Arai asked as he entered the pension.

"Hey, good morning Arai," Haruhi said as she finished cleaning the cups and plates.

"I brought you guys a watermelon. My uncle's got the best in town." He held up a watermelon in a little bag.

"Oh wow, it's huge!" Honey-senpai said as he rushed over.

"That's certainly an impressive melon," Tamaki said.

"That's pretty amazing," Rin said. Arai then heard footsteps and looked to the right. He saw Hikaru silently walking over to him. The two looked at each other before Arai smiled. It was like they communicated through the silence.

"Here," he said and Hikaru gasped but smiled.

"Thanks a lot," he said as he took the bag.

"Yay! Everything is forgiven!" Rin said as she leaned her arm against Hikaru's shoulder. He looked at her like he was going to laugh, but he held it in.

…

"I have a question," Ren said. Him, Kaoru and Kyoya all stood at the top of the staircase, watching the scene below them. "Did you ever think that the date might have gone well and that she would have fallen in love with him?" Kyoya rolled his eyes.

"I'm right here ya know?" he asked and Ren nodded.

"Oh I know."

"Nah. That wouldn't happen. Rin's completely in love with Hikaru. And Hikaru really does loves her. And not just a simple teenage love. He's just hasn't realised it yet. He's kind of a dummy that way."

"Hey! Get down here! It's time for some melon!" Tamaki called and Kaoru had to laugh.

"Well, he's lucky then. Because our club's full of dummies," Kyoya said with a smirk. Ren smiled.

* * *

**Authors Note: **The ending is cute. I felt like this episode needed to be done, rather than the one with Hikaru and Haruhi, even though I love that episode.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – Kyoya's Reluctant Day Out!**

_He stood in his father's office. His brother's next to his desk. _

"_Since adopting the zaibatsu system as its corporal model generations ago, the Ootori group has advanced the medical field to unpresentaded heights," his father said. "Today, we continue that proud history of innovation and leadership through our cutting edge approach to hospital administrative. As the successor to our legacy, you will do well to remember that merely standing in the shadows over his brothers' achievements will not suffice to ensure his future."_

…

"_Hey Kyoya! I just had the most brilliant idea!" Tamaki said._

…

Kyoya slowly opened his eyes as he stared at the world in front of him. He watched as dozens of people walked past him, carrying shopping bags and chatting away. They were commoners. And he was in some kind of expo from all the stalls surrounding the room. "How did I wind up here?" he asked himself.

_I was sleeping in my bed comfortably a few minutes ago. No, wait, Tamaki was carrying on about some kind of exhibit. He had his heart set on all of us going, I think. _He then remembered the exact moment.

* * *

**ONE HOUR EARILER**

"Doesn't this sound fascinating?" Tamaki asked. "Commoner's hold events like these all the time. There called 'expos'! That's commoner lingo for exposition. Products from all over are gathered under one roof so that under privileged people can cope with the emptiness of not being able to travel."

He then held up a sign to the sleeping Kyoya. Oh yeah, the host club was in his room while he was trying to sleep. Normal right?

"That makes this the perfect opportunity for us to better understand Haruhi by allowing the host club to study commoner's in their natural environment. You guessed it Kyoya. We're going to go, on a field trip!" He moved closer to the bed.

"You woke me up for this?" Rin asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Ren patted her on the back.

"Haruhi won't be joining us today incidentally as her presence might harm our creditability as impartial observers." Kyoya rolled over and glared at them. He tried to ignore them. The twins then jumped onto the bed, as did Honey-senpai and Tamaki.

"Oh come on, you can't just lie in bed all day. It's the last day of summer vacation!" Tamaki said as he started shoving Kyoya. The twins joined in shortly after. Rin, Ren and Mori-senpai stood back and watched the scene unfold. Kyoya then rose into a sitting position. All of the host club members' attentions were caught.

"For your information, I was up till five A.M you morons. Which, if you hadn't noticed, makes me a little less than happy about being woken up." The four jumped off the bed and to the others.

"Kyo-chan isn't much of a morning person huh?" Honey-senpai asked as he started shaking.

"I wonder what gave it away," Ren said glaring.

"You wouldn't know when to talk," Mori-senpai said to Honey-senpai. He turned around, innocently.

"Hey, what does that mean?"

"Okay, enough with the commoner stich. If you formally calf-wits want wasting the afternoon on old worn out clichés, then go right ahead and suit yourselves." He then collapsed onto the pillow.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Rin muttered.

"But of course, they never listen to us," Ren said.

"Well, if that's what you really want," Tamaki said nervously. "You heard the man! Let's dress him to the nines and head for the expo!" he commanded and the twins and Honey-senpai's faces brightened up. All the males then jumped onto the bed and started trying to dress Kyoya in appropriate clothing.

"This is completely unorthodox," Rin screamed out as she ran out of the room, not wanting to see him changing.

**COMMONERS' DEPARTMENT STORE**

It was amazing. At least, according to the energetic hosts. Their eyes sparkled at how 'breathtaking' it all was.

"Hey everyone! Look at that!" Hikaru yelled.

"Wow, all those suits look the same," Kaoru said.

"Mass Production! Mass Production!" they cheered.

"Wow, look at all these different jewels," Rin said.

"Don't even think about it," Ren said.

"There's something here called a pet shop," Tamaki said, carrying a sleep Kyoya on his back. "That will be our very first destination men!"

"They serve ice cream on the roof top!" Honey-senpai said.

"Really? Wait. Wait. Wait. They're holding a super special event up there too! Sweet!" He then dropped Kyoya onto the bench. They then walked off, leaving him by himself.

"Uh, do we just leave him there?" Rin asked her brother.

"Yeah, why the hell not."

…

And so…when the hypotensive evil lord finally woke up…he realised that he was all alone…

…

"Oh right, that's how," he muttered as he stood up. He looked at the sign behind him, scanning all the floors and stalls.

_Looks like I'm at the Izumi Shopping Centre, which isn't in exactly walking distance of home. Guess I'll call to have a car sent out. _

He then reached into his pants pocket, but found nothing. He started to panic on the inside as he searched through all of his pockets.

…

…Without his wallet or cell phone…and he was very hungry.

…

He stood there in silence as he processed it all. A small kid laughed as he ran around, not noticing where he was going. He groaned as he smacked into Kyoya's leg and fell to the ground.

"Oh wow, sorry," the little boy said before he gasped. Kyoya turned around with the most evil look on his face. Behind him was a sign for a creepy doctor in a weird costume. They had the same scary facial expression. "Mama!" the kid cried as he ran.

"Tamaki's a dead man when I get my hands on him," Kyoya said as he turned back to face the sign.

"Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked and he turned around. "I didn't expect to see you here today." He then stared at her for a moment, thinking, before he finally got an idea.

"How much money do you have on you Haruhi?" he asked.

"…What?"

…

Rin stared in awe at all the fancy jewellery and accessories surrounding her. They were all kept in glass cases, but she didn't care. "Wow, this stuff is amazing. And so cheap," she muttered.

"You think?" Kaoru asked.

"Of course. I mean, look at that damn thing," she said, pointing to a diamond ring which was very cheaply priced.

"Yeah, I see your point."

"Do you want it?" Hikaru asked.

"No, she doesn't," Ren interrupted. "She doesn't need it."

"How about this? Since your birthday is coming up, how about I make it an early gift?" he asked and she gasped.

"You would do that, for me?"

"Uh, of course I would." Rin looked over at Ren with her famous puppy dog eyes and he sighed.

"Fine," he said and she had a huge smile on her face. Hikaru went up and bought the ring for her.

And she was right. It was magnificent. And from they could tell, it wasn't a cheap knock off.

He placed it on her index finger and she smiled. "Thank you!" she said as she kissed him.

"Oh god. Get a room you two," Kaoru said laughing.

"Who says we haven't?" Hikaru asked smirking.

"That is my sister you're talking about!" Ren shouted.

…

"Kyoya-senpai? Are you sure this is where you want to eat?" Haruhi asked as they stood outside a fast food venue. "They have much nicer restaurants to choose from upstairs."

"Well, you don't have much on you so our choices are limited. Just be sure to get a receipt. Tamaki will reimburse you, ten bulk." Haruhi backed away, slightly terrified.

_How did this happen? _Haruhi thought. _All I wanted was a little peak at the products expo. Why did I have to run into Kyoya-senpai? And why did he have to be in such a foul mood?_

He turned around. "Haruhi. I think it's our turn. How do I order?"

"Oh, here, why don't I order for the both of us?" she asked as she rushed over to the counter. "Do you know what you want?"

"You pick. Just get us a lot of it."

"Well uh, okay. That, and that one. Both with fries too please."

The cashier then gasped as she caught sight of Kyoya. She then blushed with a goofy smile on her face.

_He's so cute. And just my type,_ the girl thought.

"Okay. Coming right up. Would you be interested in adding in one of our delicious desserts?"

"Thank you, no, I don't care for sweets," Kyoya said.

_Gorgeous and cool. I think I'm in love~!_

"Before you decide, we have a new shake that's absolutely-"

"I have given you our answer," he interrupted. The two then felt a cold chill go through them as the woman gasped.

"Please be sure to include our receipt," Haruhi said nervously.

…

"Hurry up! We have to go to this thing called a pet shop! It sounds absolutely delightful!" Tamaki said as he skipped over to them. He seemed way too happy about all of this.

"Isn't a pet store just filled with animals?" Ren asked.

"But of course Ren-senpai."

"It seems like fun Ren-chan," Honey-senpai said.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai said, nodding.

"Yeah, maybe Tamaki might get a pet," Rin said. Tamaki's eyes perked up as he barked.

"I don't think boss is ready for a pet," Hikaru said.

"The pet would be in danger," Kaoru said.

"Hey. If he gets a pet, the less time he'll spend annoying the crap out of us." The twins went silent.

"Let's go get Tamaki a pet!" they said as they started walking.

"You are too good at manipulating people," Ren said.

"I wonder who I got that from?" she asked smirking as she walked past him and caught up to the others.

"Hey! I am not manipulative!" He ran after them.

…

"Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi sighed as she placed the tray of food down on the table. "Just because you're in a bad mood today, doesn't give you the right to go around talking to people like that. Senpai, the poor girl was just doing her job." Kyoya grabbed one of the burgers and started unwrapping it.

"Her job is to serve us food, not irritate me with an annoying sales pitch," he said as he took a bite. Haruhi stared at him in both awe and shock. He stopped eating and sighed. "Now what?"

"Nothing, it's just that, I don't think I've ever seen you eat before. Somehow I thought the experience would be more refined. I'm surprised this stuff even appeals to you."

"It doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. No doubt you'll say I'm callous for admitting it since you brought this tripe."

"Of course I won't."

_I will think it though._

"There's an understanding between the makers of this and those that eat it. Quality takes a back seat to convenience. Refinement isn't part of the equation. It's meant to be eaten quickly. And besides, no one of consequence is here to witness my momentary moment of manners."

_He must be taking a break from the whole nice guy act today. I guess even rich people have to let their hair down every once in a while. _

"Hey," he said and she gasped. "For the record, it benefits me none if I keep up appearances in a place like this. And that includes any special treatment I might give you here."

"Oh really? I never would have guessed that in a million years," she said sarcastically as she looked away from him.

"Oh my gosh girls, that guy in the glasses is a total hottie," a girl whispered to her two friends as they walked past.

"You're right, he's gorgeous," the two girls said.

"Um, excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt. I was wondering, if you weren't using this chair here, can my friends and I borrow it?"

"Why not?" Kyoya sighed.

"Thank you! That's so awesome!" the three had hearts around them.

"You're quite welcome."

_I've never seen this side of Kyoya-senpai before. Is he always this indifferent when there's nothing for him to gain? I'll have to ask Rin later._

…

"_Welcome," Kyoya said with a smile. "Why don't you come in?"_

…

_Tamaki-senpai couldn't ask like this if his life depended on it. How do they complement each other so well?_

"You're probably wondering how Tamaki and I complement each other so well." Haruhi gasped as she shuddered.

_Oh great. Now he's inside my head! What, is he telepathic or something?_

"The answer is simple. I have something to gain. There is no better motivator than self-interest. I have to look out for number one you know."

"Tamaki-senpai would be heartbroken if he heard you say that."

"On the contrary. He's understood our arrangement from the very beginning. The same goes for all of them. Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai and even Rin. The glue that holds the host club together is our mutual egocentricity. It's the principal that drives the alliance of our families and ensures each of our futures. Though, well, let's just say there's quite a bit you still don't understand about that.

"Although Tamaki is a fool, self-sacrifice does come naturally to him. So, I guess the point of all this is that we are very different creatures."

…

"Look at this!" Tamaki shouted as he ran into the pet shop.

"Oh wow, they look so cute!" Honey-senpai said as he looked at the fluffy white rabbits. Mori-senpai nodded.

"Are those snakes?" Ren asked as he pointed.

"Why would anyone want those as pets?" Rin asked.

"Those are just creepy," the twins said in monotone.

Rin was then pushed to the ground as something jumped on her. She screamed out as she hit the floor. Whatever the thing was, starting licking her face and she squirmed.

"She seems to like you," Ren said in amusement with a smirk.

"Get it off me!" Tamaki then rushed over with a giant smile on his face. She glared at him as he tried picking up the dog.

"Wow, isn't she amazing?" he asked. The dog had light brown fur with a red bow on the top of her head. "I must have her!"

"She just tried to attack me!"

"She was just being friendly Rin-chan," Honey-senpai said.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai said. Hikaru sighed as he walked over and held out his hand.

"Hurry up and take it," he said with a smirk. She smirked back as she took his hand as he helped her stand.

"Uh, that is just weird," Ren said. They turned around.

They saw Tamaki laughing as the dog was licking his face and pouncing on him. The twins stared in shock as Rin started laughing. Honey-senpai looked at Mori-senpai innocently, but he shook his head.

"Don't look," he said as he covered the small boy's eyes.

"I guess we have to buy it for him," Ren said.

"Why do we need to do that?" the twins asked.

"Otherwise, that dog won't leave him alone," Rin said. The twins looked at each before they sighed, rummaging through their pockets.

They each pulled out their wallets. "Fine, but we better get payed extra for this."

"Thank you guys so much!" Tamaki said as the dog raced around him as they walked out of the shop.

"What are you gonna name her Tama-chan?"

"Hmmm, I got it! I have the perfect name!"

"Oh really?" Hikaru asked.

"What is it then?" Kaoru asked.

"Antoinette. A darling name for a darling dog!"

"Oh geez. Please, don't start flirting with dogs," Rin groaned.

…

"Senpai? I thought you were gonna take a taxi home," Haruhi said as she followed him as he walked through the expo.

"I am. But I might as well have a look around first. Hmm, black pearls from the Ishigaki Island. Odd to find them here, considering how much they go for."

"You're kidding? Really? That's incredible. How can you tell senpai?" Haruhi asked as she took a closer look.

"I am the product of excellent breading."

_Breading huh? Well, that sure accounts for the wall of ice he's been putting between us. _

"So Kyoya-senpai?" she asked as they walked again. "Why is it that after all this time, I still know next to nothing about your family?"

"Because there's really nothing for you to know about my family. At least, nothing that should be of interest for you."

"Well, that seems to be a little bit unfair, don't you think?"

"Just what do you mean unfair?" he asked as he turned around.

"I mean, when it comes to my personal life, you even keep tabs on my father's friends from work while I barely have a club about yours. So I call that unfair."

"That's a very intriguing notion in its own way."

"You've got two older brothers right? For starters, you could tell me something about them. What kind of people are they?"

…

_Three young men stood in a line, facing the numerous guests who were gossiping and whispering. A voice caught their attention._

"_I'd like to introduce to you my sons. They are the Ootori legacy," the boys' father said with a stern voice. _

"_Ah, what fine young men," a woman said._

"_Truly a credit to their line," a man said. "You must be very pleased," he said to their father._

"_They all appear to be remarkably brilliant."_

"_But of course, only the oldest one will be able to surpass his father."_

"_Kyoya is the handsome of the three," a woman said. "But you're right. With two older brothers ahead of him, he doesn't stand a chance of becoming the family's patriarch." Kyoya stood in silence._

…

"They are rather exceptional," he said. "Enough so that my father puts a lot of stock in them. Though as the third son, things work out a little differently for me."

…

"_An irreproachable academic record and social venice are accomplishments your brothers lay clean to you long ago. Your own achievements will have to outshine these considerably in order to impress me Kyoya," his father said._

…

"I didn't realise there was so much pressure on you to succeed.

"Pressure?" he asked with a smirk. "Oh no Haruhi. I can think of nothing more fun than this."Haruhi took a deep breath and sighed.

…

"So, where should we go now?" Ren asked.

"I'm not sure, but girls are staring at you," Rin smirked. Ren blushed as he noticed the girls walking towards him.

"My, aren't you an attractive young man?" a mother asked. "You must be born of a noble heritage."

"U-Uh, not necessarily," he stuttered.

"Oh mother, don't embarrass him," the young girl said.

"Oh dear me, I'm sorry."

"N-No, it's perfectly a-alright." The girl blushed.

"And this must be your cute little girlfriend," the mother said.

"Oh no, I think you've been mistaken," Rin said with a smile. "We're brother and sister. He's just taking me out shopping."

"Oh how sweet," the mother said. "I'm sorry, my eyesight's been a bit bad recently."

"Oh, it's perfectly alright miss."

"You two really do look alike," the girl said.

"How is that two parents can produce such beautiful children?"

"That's really nice of you too say," Rin said.

"Y-Yeah, thank y-you," Ren stuttered blushing.

"What was that all about?" the twins asked.

"I know her daughter. She went to my university. Guess she moved here as well," Ren said as he thought.

"Yeah, and he's got the hots for her!" Rin said.

"W-What! I-I do not!"

"Aww, Ren-chan is in love!" Honey-senpai gushed.

"I-I am not!"

"You're in denial," Mori-senpai said.

"Whatever, I'm going to get ice-cream," he said as he stormed off.

"Boss? You coming?" the twins asked. They noticed that Antoinette was still licking his face. They groaned.

"I think getting him that dog-" Hikaru started.

"Was a bad idea," Kaoru finished

"Antoinette! Stop that!" Tamaki said in-between laughs.

"You guys coming?" Rin asked.

"He might take a while," Hikaru said as he entangled his hand in hers.

The two started walking, following the others. Kaoru just stared at them with a happy smile. He knew the day was coming soon. But he wasn't ready for the day he'd leave him.

…

"Oh dear me, pieces from the Komatsu Shouin?" an old woman asked as she looked at one of the stalls. Both Haruhi and Kyoya looked over to her. "I'd never thought I'd find them here." There was a red flag in the way, blocking a bit of her body.

"Why madam, you have an astonishing eye," the man behind the counter said with a smile on his face. Kyoya's eyes narrowed.

"Um, senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"You know, they have such exquisite colour, don't they?" the seller asked. "To tell you the truth, I'm not even supposed to have these out on display. The bulk of the Komatsu collection has been privately held for ages. The pieces rarely come up for sale." He chuckled as Kyoya walked over with a smirk.

"With all due respect, these are fake." The woman turned around.

"Hey. Get out of here kid," the seller said. "What do you think you're doing?" Kyoya noticed one of the designs. He picked it up.

"The shade of blue is strongly reminiscent of Shouin's work, but looking closely around the base, you notice the colour graduation isn't dark enough to be authentic. That, and the lacquer is too clear." The seller flinched but composed himself.

"That's enough of you mister expert. I'll report you for obstructing my business." People had crowded around them. Kyoya then turned the pot around and smirked.

"Just as I thought. The brush strokes on this signature are characteristically broad as well. For your sake, I hope you have a certificate. That is, if you still insist it's real."

"Uh, of course it's real. I have the certificate at home."

"Ah, then surely you won't mind if I call the Komatsu family right now to verify your claim. My own family has had deals with them for generations. It would only be a matter of minutes."

"What? You can't do this to me! This is an outrage! I have been here for years! I'll report you to the authorities!" the seller screamed as the security guards dragged him away.

"Thank you very much," the old woman said bowing.

"After everything you've told me senpai," Haruhi said. "Stepping in on someone's behalf seems a little out of character for you."

"Oh that? Well now, she's hardly a stranger. You mean you don't know? Her husband is the C.E.O of a major electronics company." Haruhi felt like lightning struck her. "This is my first time meeting her personally, but that ring on her left hand in unmistakable."

He was right. The ring was huge. It was a ruby with a silver lining around it. "My family has deals with her husband's company." Haruhi was in shock.

"Ah, one of the Ootori boys," the woman said as she walked over. "Imagine running into you here in incognito. The next opportunity I have, I'll be sure to take advantage of one of your family's beautiful health resorts."

"We'd be honoured."

_Big surprise, Kyoya-senpai is Kyoya-senpai after all, _she thought glaring.

"Now hold on a second," Haruhi said to herself. "That woman's ring." It was covered by the flag. _There's no way he could of…_

"Hey Haruhi, did you know about this?" he asked, holding something. She turned around.

"Did I know what?"

"Is melon the preferred flavour among snack makers?"

"Huh?"

"It doesn't make sense. If the primary ingredient is corn, why go to the trouble of artificially making it taste like fruit? Seems counter intuitive." Haruhi took a closer look before she burst out into a small laughter. He turned around, confused.

"That's an intriguing notion in its own way," she said.

"Oh. Was I being funny?"

"Earlier you were going on and on about how you and Tamaki-senpai are nothing alike. What you just said right now about the candy, it sounds exactly like him."

"You think so?" he asked with a sly smile. "This does seem like something him, the twins and even Rin would fawn over. Very well, I'll buy them. Haruhi, your wallet."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Just be sure to save me a receipt."

…

They were each having fun upstairs. Tamaki was, of course, being licked and tackled by Antoinette, which made people around him circle around to watch.

Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai were licking their ice cream in delight.

Hikaru and Kaoru were both sitting on the merry go round, enjoying it.

Rin was taking photos of the place and all the interesting stalls while Ren sat down on a bench, looking bored. He sighed.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" a girl asked and he looked.

"O-Oh, not at a-all," he said as he blushed. She smiled.

"I'm sorry about my mother earlier. She's a bit-"

"Y-You don't have to a-apologise. It's okay."

"That's good to know. It's nice to see you again Ren."

"Y-Yeah, it's nice to s-see you too Lucy." She smiled at him and his heart seemed to flutter.

Rin smirked as she took photos of them sitting together.

"What are you doing?" the twins asked as they stood over her.

"Just taking photos. My brother is getting a date right now."

"Oh really?" they asked, smirking. Rin glared.

"Don't do anything! I want my brother to be happy."

"How cute," Hikaru said as he lightly pinched her cheek.

"You're too sweet," Kaoru said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Ren didn't seem to notice them standing there.

His face turned even redder as he moved his hand closer to hers. Back when they were in university together, they shared a bit of chemistry. One of them hoping it to get to the next step. She gasped as she felt his hand on top of hers. He backed away.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"No, it's alright," she said as she held his hand.

"Awww! How cute!" Rin said as she took a photo. Ren heard that. He looked up and glared. He excused himself before he stood up.

"Uh oh," Kaoru said.

"You better run," Hikaru smirked.

"Yep! I'm right on it!" she screamed as she started running, him chasing behind her. People around them exchanged concerned looks, hoping there wasn't going to be a murder.

An explosion went off on the stage and everyone hushed. All the little kids in the audience gasped with smiles on their faces, gushing about cool it was. Even Honey-senpai and the twins were impressed.

"Where the hell is Rin?" Ren asked as he sat down.

"Not sure," Hikaru said.

"I'm sure she'll show up," Kaoru said.

"Hey Tama-chan, the shows about to show." You can already picture what was happening to Tamaki.

But, a glare appeared on his face when he heard a familiar laugh. It was Renge. A powerful motor started and she lifted up onto a pillar and stood on the stage with a weird costume on and a microphone in her hand. The strange thing was, there was someone else there.

"Hey kiddos! I hope you're ready!" Renge said.

"It's time to go back to school!" Rin said into the mic. The hosts gasped. Why the hell was Rin up there?

"Have you all been keeping up with your summer homework assignments?" Renge asked as she leaned forward.

"Did you hear that right Rin?" Renge asked.

"I did. They haven't done them!"

"What have you been doing all this time?" Renge asked the audience. You better stop goofing around and get a move on!"

"What is Renge doing up there?" Tamaki asked.  
"It seems like recently-" Hikaru started.

"She's practically been around every corner," Kaoru finished.

"And why did she drag poor Rin-chan up there?"

"Not sure," Mori-senpai said.

They gasped as they heard the two girls scream. They were grabbed by some kind of person in a really strange and ridiculous outfit.

"HA! What do we have here?" the voice asked, holding a sword. "A group of naughty little children who aren't ready for school?" The children in the audience became frightened. "It's too late now! I, Doctor Namahage, will never let you leave!"

"This is a job for…The Ouran Host Club Rangers!" Renge cried out into the microphone. Rin glared at her.

"You're kidding me right?" she asked.

"Unhand them!" a voice bellowed as a man dressed all in black ran onto the stage.

"Oh no! It's my arch nemesis. Dragged shadow leader of the Host Rangers!" the Doctor cried out.

"Host…Black!" the man called as he did some weird poses. The children in the audience cheered.

"I did not agree to this!" Rin screamed out as they fought.

"Hey, what happened to Kyo-chan?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Uh…?" the twins and Honey-senpai looked at Tamaki.

"Ugh," Tamaki groaned.

"Someone get me off this damn stage!" Rin called

"You're ruining the moment!" Renge screamed.

…

"Hey, senpai?" Haruhi asked as they sat on a bench. "Why do you think Tamaki-senpai is so eager to help someone in need?"

"You mean when there's nothing to be gained from it? Who knows?"

"So when you help someone, how exactly do you benefit from it? Money? Reputation? Or is it more abstract? Because, the way I see it, Tamaki-senpai gets something out of helping others that doesn't necessarily involve someone paying him back. So maybe when you get down to it, the two of you aren't all that different."

…

"_Kyoya, would you please find a map of all the public schools in this area. I would like to help this man find his daughter."_

…

"_For the next week, you will spend your mornings, lunches, recesses and any free time you have after school in piano lessons with Rin and me."_

…

"_It's an absolute tragedy to see a brother and sister at odds this way. We have to do something to help them."_

…

"_If you really want to surpass your brothers, then you can do it. But I think you're the one who's lost hope and has given up!"_

…

"_Hey Kyoya~! I just had the most brilliant idea. We should start a club together."_

…

Kyoya thought to himself. He stood up and Haruhi looked at him.

"Attention shoppers," a voice over the intercom said. "This is an announcement for a lost child. Attention shoppers. This is an announcement for a lost child. A little boy named Kyoya Ootori is lost inside the store. Repeat. Kyoya Ootori is lost. His guardian, Suoh, is waiting for him at the second floor information counter."

Haruhi sighed as she lowered her head.

"Kyoya is 5 feet, 11 inches tall with black hair and wearing prescription glasses." Kyoya adjusted his glasses as the people stared.

"Is that him?"

"It fits the description.

"He's a little big to be lost, isn't he?"

"Hey mister, is there something wrong with you?"

"That damn idiot, I'm gonna KILL HIM!" Kyoya screamed.

"AHHHH!" Haruhi cried out.

…

All the remaining members stood at the information desk, some more concerned than others. They heard footsteps behind them and they turned around. It was of course, Kyoya.

"Ah! Kyoya~! There you are! We were so worried…Why is Haruhi with you?" Tamaki asked as he tilted his head.

"Oh boy, oh boy. Haru-chan's come to play with us!"

"Hooray! Play! Play! Play! Play!" the twins chanted.

"I'm sorry guys, but I'm exhausted. It has been a very long day for me," Haruhi commented.

"Same here," Rin said with a groan, wanting to go home.

"Stuck with the hosts?" Haruhi asked. Rin nodded.

"Stuck with Kyoya?" Rin asked. Haruhi nodded. Haruhi looked at Rin's finger and gasped. "What?" she asked.

"The ring on your finger! Is that even real?!" Kyoya walked over and lifted Rin's hand and looked closely at the ring.

"Hmmm, it's authentic," he said, letting go of her hand.

"Where the hell did you get that?!"

"Uh, here. At the store. Got it pretty cheap too." Haruhi just stared in disbelief.

_Why is that whenever I want to go shopping for accessories, they're always expensive?_

She got distracted though by the dog pouncing on Tamaki.

"Ah! Stop licking me! That tickles," Tamaki said as he laughed.

"What's with the dog?" Kyoya asked.

"Isn't she beautiful? I got her at this amazing place called a pet shop. Hey, cut it out Antoinette! Whoa!" He then fell backwards.

"How exactly am I like this moron?" Kyoya asked Haruhi.

"I know you want me to believe your only reasons for helping that woman earlier were selfish ones, but that isn't actually the truth. Because from where we were standing, there's no way you could have seen her ring. There was a flag blocking our view. It just doesn't make sense.

"You go to all that trouble of making yourself look like a big jerk when being a nice guy comes so naturally to you. It seems counter intuitive." She then smiled as she walked past him and headed towards the exit.

He turned around with a smirk on his face. "That's a very intriguing notion in its own way."

* * *

**Authors Note: **Not only was this episode really weird to begin with, it is also very hard to write. God, thinking about what crap the Hosts would get up to at a commoner's supermarket is confusing. But, I think I got it right.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – Chika's 'Down with Honey' Declaration!**

The host club all sat in the third music room, bored. The twins let out a huge sigh as they sat down on the couch.

"This is sooo boring," Hikaru said.

"I wish there was something fun to do," Kaoru said. Why was it so boring? The guests hadn't showed up yet. Because of this, the members were busy doing their own things.

"Rin! We're bored!" they yelled in unison as they stood up.

"Sorry boys. Doing my English homework."

"…We had homework?" She glared at them from across the room. They looked at each other with a shrug.

"No, only I did. Extra credit. Write a story and hand it in?" They sighed as they walked away and left her to work.

"Ren-senpai! We're bored!" they said as they walked over to him.

"Busy," he said from one of the tables.

"Doing what?" Hikaru asked.

"Rin's math homework."

"Can't she do it herself?" Kaoru asked.

"Have you seen her grades? She needs all the help she can get."

"I heard that!" Rin yelled from across the room. The twins looked around. Kyoya was typing on his laptop, Mori-senpai was reading, Honey-senpai was eating cake and Tamaki was organizing costumes for the next cosplay event. They sighed.

"This is so boring," Hikaru said.

"I wish something interesting would happen," Kaoru said.

…

Outside, Haruhi sighed. She was late…again. She walked to the door and placed her hand on the handle. She was only able to open it a smidge before a voice caught her attention.

"Excuse me," a young male said. "Are you a member of the host club?" She turned around. He had brown hair, brown eyes, blue glasses and wore a middle school uniform. "Could you ask third year student, Mitskuni Haninozuka, to meet me out here?"

"Who? Honey-senpai? You sure?"

"Yes," he said. Suddenly Honey-senpai appeared through the crack in the door, riding on Mori-senpai's back.

"Oh look, it's Chika-chan!" he exclaimed. Chika's eyes narrowed. "So what's up? You rarely come over to the highschool to see me like this."

"Prepare yourself, Mitskuni," he said before he charged forward. He kicked at Honey-senpai. Honey-senpai flipped off of Mori-senpai's back and landed swiftly on the ground. Chika landed soon after.

"Hey! Come on! Cut it out you guys!" Haruhi said. "Mori-senpai!"

"Hmm."

"What do you mean 'hmm'?" Honey-senpai stood up.

"Whoa! Did you see that?!" Renge yelled as the powerful motor started as she entered through the floor. This time she was sitting on a seat with a microphone attached to her ear. "Honey-senpai dodged Chika's preliminary attack! This is gonna be good!"

"What's going on here?" Haruhi asked.

"Honey-senpai is able to fly through the air with such grace. He's like a modern day Ishawakamaru!" Chika charged. "Whoa! Chika attacks again without even giving him a change to regain his balance!"

Chika swung at Honey-senpai several times. He dodged it each time right before he swung his leg at Chika's feet, trying to throw him off balance.

"Incredible! He dodged He dodged his attack and tripped him! Neither of them is gonna give. They keep lashing out with ferocious techniques!" Haruhi stared in shock. How the hell was this being allowed?

Chika regained his balance as he landed back on the ground, huffing and puffing. Honey-senpai seemed unfazed by all of this.

"So, they're at it again," Tamaki said.

"You happy now? You got some entertainment," Rin said to the twins. They just shrugged.

"I guess," Hikaru said.

"But the ending is so predictable," Kaoru said.

"I thought fighting wasn't allowed in the club," Ren said.

"There's no rule that says people can't fight in here, but I wish they would have chosen a better place to do this," Kyoya said.

"Why are you guys so calm?!" Haruhi asked as she ran over. Chika then pulled out a steel pipe. Tamaki pointed and Haruhi turned around to see it.

"Now things are getting serious! Chika's got a weapon!" Chika launched himself into the air, swinging down at Honey-senpai. He flipped over and landed quite far away from him. Chika swung the steel pipe at his head but Honey-senpai dodged it.

"Hey! No way! The use of a weapon should be against the rules!" Haruhi shouted.

"There are rules?" Rin asked.

Chika swung at Honey-senpai and smacked him, flinging him into the air. He landed harshly on the ground.

"Whoa! He knocked him out of the park!" Hikaru said.

"This maybe his first win!" Kaoru said. Both Mori-senpai and Renge's eyes narrowed. Chika smirked with victory.

"I got ya," he said as he put the steel pipe away.

"Sorry, but I don't think so," Renge said. "The winner of this fight is Honey-senpai."

"Renge's right about that," Mori-senpai said. Chika gasped as he looked down. His pants were nailed to the ground with some shuriken. "See, he got you."

"How the hell did he do that?" Chika asked, growling. Honey-senpai stood back up as he brushed himself off. He had no injuries on him and he didn't even seemed tired.

"In the heat of battle, Honey-senpai was able to attack with his shuriken before Chika noticed!" A projector slid down as the room darkened with the curtains closed. The projector started playing back a replay of the fight.

_Honey-senpai hit the steel pipe as it swung at him, pretending to be hit by it. As he flew through the air, he threw some shuriken at him and pinned the bottom of his pants to the floor._

The projector stopped and the room brightened back up.

"He was using…shuriken?" Haruhi asked herself.

"He's left Chika utterly defenceless!" Renge said. "That was a great fight. Can't wait for the next one. Till then, see ya!" She then exited through the floor once again.

Honey-senpai stood in front of Chika, who was bent down on the ground in despair.

"Hey guys, I'm completely lost," Haruhi said. "Could you tell me what's going on here? Who's that kid and why did he attack Honey-senpai?" Kyoya adjusted his glasses.

"What? You mean you can't tell by looking at his face?" Tamaki asked. "That's Honey-senpai's younger brother."

Haruhi gasped. On closer inspection, he's the spitting image of Honey-senpai. How did she not notice this earlier?

…

"The Haninozuka's, are a noble family," Chika said. They found out that is real name was Yasuchika Haninozuka. He was also in his third year of Middle-school and he was the Captain of the Karate Club and a member of the Judo Club. "We excel at martial arts. We've combined styles of the years to create our very own method of fighting." Haruhi sat on the couch in front of him and Tamaki stood beside the table.

"When we're away, we study Karate and Judo. But when we're home, we work hard to master the Haninozuka technique. So, to make sure that we always stay alert, we have been taught that when two family members come face to face, they must engage each other in battle."

"Well, that does explain earlier," Rin said and Haruhi nodded.

_I get it now, _Haruhi thought. _They were fighting because they're family makes them._

"Go on, Yasuchika," Tamaki said. "We saved you a yummy piece of cake."

"Thank you, but I don't care for sweets. Besides, the basic principal of the Haninozuka technique is refraining from selfishness. So to let myself indulge in sweets would be out of the question."

"But…one little piece of cake isn't going to hurt you."

"Hold on. I happen to know of a sweets loving, overly pampered little Loli boy who happens to be-" Hikaru started.

"The next head of the Haninozukas," Kaoru finished.

"And he's sitting right over there," they said in unison as they pointed at the table where Honey-senpai sat. Just as they said that, Honey-senpai took a big bit of his cake.

"Let me just say, there's no way I'm going to recognise a dimwit like Mitskuni as the next head of our family." The host club went silent as Honey-senpai looked saddened. "There's no doubt that my older brother is strong, but he lives a decitite life style and has failed to show any self-restraint. He no longer has the right to be called a Haninozuka. I can't allow someone who arbitrary quit the Karate Club, only to become hooked on cakes and stuffed animals, to be the head of the Haninozuka family, even if he is my older brother." He stood up.

"I've been meaning to make that clear for a while now. And another thing Mitskuni, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Stay away from me at school, got it?" He then walked out the room and shut the door behind him.

Honey-senpai stood at the window, staring out at the figure of his brother walking back to the Middle-school.

"Senpai? Are you doing okay?" Haruhi asked as she walked over. Honey-senpai remained silent.

"Honey-senpai. So what should we do, with this cake?" Tamaki asked as he walked over with a piece of cake in his hands. Honey-senpai stiffened.

"I'll eat it~!" he said as he turned around with a huge smile on his face. It seemed to be gone in seconds.

"Well he recovered quickly," Rin muttered.

"Cake is a good anti-depressant I guess," Ren said.

_I guess everyone has their own strange family issues to deal with, _Haruhi thought as she watched Honey-senpai twirl around with Usu-chan. He was giggling like no tomorrow.

"So, you used to be in the Karate Club Honey-senpai?" Haruhi asked as he skipped past her. "I had no idea. What made you decide to quit and join the Host Club?"

"Why did you just say the Host Club like that?" Tamaki asked pouting. "What are you getting at huh?"

"Well, no matter how you cut it, the Karate Club is a much more reputable club than ours is senpai."

"Ahhh!" Tamaki screamed out as he went into the corner.

"Sadly though, it is true. The Karate Club is more developed and has a vast number of people," Rin said as she walked over.

"Exactly my point. And, it's more redeemable if you do join." At each statement, Tamaki seemed to get more depressed.

"If you really want to know" Hikaru said as he rested his arm on Rin's shoulder.

"We'll have to take a trip down memory lane," Kaoru said as he rested his arm on Haruhi's shoulder.

"It was long before the Host Club had been established."

"Listen up and we'll tell you the tale of Honey-senpai, Captain of the Karate Club."

"Oh boy, fun," Rin muttered sarcastically.

_THE LEGEND OF HONEY-SENPAI,  
CRACK CAPTAIN OF THE KARATE CLUB_

…_2 Years Previous…The Haninozuka Estate…At the Dojo…_

_Honey-senpai dodged the man's kick as he jumped in the air and kicked the man in the face. He moaned in pain as he fell to the ground. "Oh, so the eldest son is in highschool," a man said. _

"_I heard he's already been made 'Captain' of the Karate Club. And, he's only a first year."_

"_That's outstanding!"_

"_I know he's a growing boy, but doesn't he seem small for his age?" another man asked. "He may not be respected as head of the family if he stays that small."_

…

"_Mitskuni, you are aware of what the others are saying about you, right?" his father asked as they sat in private. _

"_Yes," Honey-senpai said. _

"_You must work even harder to maintain your self-discipline. Completely cast aside all weakness and leniency and take hold of your true strength."_

"_Right!" Honey-senpai said sternly. Mori-senpai remained silent as he sat beside the small blonde boy._

…

"From that day forward, Honey-senpai tried his very best. It was difficult, but he worked hard," Tamaki said. The twins nodded.

"So he spent more time working on martial arts moves?"

"Wrong!"

"But that seems like the obvious thing to do!" Rin said.

"Well aware of what others were saying about him, Honey-senpai worked hard to follow his father's orders. He sealed away all of his cute possessions, so as not to seem weak. Then, he decided to take on a hard and fearless disposition, that of a manly man."

…

_Honey-senpai walked into school beside Mori-senpai, carrying his bag over his right shoulder. He had a stern look on his face which made the girls whisper to each other, confused._

…

"But, it was obvious to everyone around him that his efforts were failing," Tamaki continued.

…

_Honey-senpai stared down at the plate of steak and vegetables that he had ordered. He gulped as he looked at all the delicious and colourful sweets that surrounded him. _

"_Excuse me, Haninozuka," a girl said. "Would you like me to get you a piece of cake?"_

"_What are you doing?! He can't!" a different girl said. _

"_No thank you. I don't like sweets," he said. _

"_He's upset. See what you did. He's exercising self-control!"_

"_I totally forgot. I'm so sorry!" He stared at the sweets in front of him. He felt like he was going to cry as he inched closer. _

"_He's trying so hard to resist," the girl said. _

"_You can tell he's really struggling."_

"_Oh wow, it's so touching!" all three said. _

…

"And so, the girls were so touched seeing him resist the things he loved that their Moe senses went into overdrive. Not long after that, the Haninozuka fan club was born."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't need to know as to why the girls started squealing at him. I thought you were telling a different story," Rin said. Haruhi nodded.

"Yeah. What does any of that stuff have to do with the Legend of the Karate Club?"

"Let us explain," the twins said.

…

…_2 Years Previous…The Ouran Academy Karate Club…_

"_Okay guys! Take a ten minute break!" Honey-senpai shouted at the men. They all bowed as they chanted. He nodded as he walked away, a towel around his neck. _

"_Hey, you know Captain Haninozuka is such a strict and manly captain. His technique is awesome and he always keeps us in line," one of them said to the others. _

"_No joke. He's the best captain ever," another said. Then all started whispering. Mostly about how 'Manly' or how 'Strict' or how he was the best 'Crack Captain' they'd had. _

_Of course, all of these compliments went straight to his head._

…

"That story's such a tear-jerker!" the twins said as they cried into some tissues.

"You've got to be kidding. How is that a tear jerker?" Haruhi asked. Rin patted them both on the back.

"Okay you two, calm down," she said.

"Oh never mind, just tell me what happens would ya?"

…

_Honey-senpai watched as all the men worked hard on their training. He looked towards the door and noticed some kind of pink bunny in the crack of it. It seemed to wave at him. He stared at it in awe before he quickly brushed it off. He looked back at the men before quickly rushing out the door._

_There was no one there. But the bunny was peeking out from around the corner. He went to investigate. It then ran way. He ran for it again, but it was around the next corner. It happened again as he ran for it, but it disappeared. He went around the corner and gasped. _

"_Why, hello there, Haninozuka-senpai," a young Tamaki said as he made the pink bunny's mouth move. "I know this is kind of sudden, but I was wondering if you'd join a new club I'm starting."_

"_Aren't you Suoh?" he asked. "Tamaki, right? You're from the middle school. What kind of club are you starting?"_

"_I can't tell you how happy I am you asked Haninozuka-senpai!" he shouted, which caught Honey-senpai off guard. "Come on senpai, don't you think it's about time you used your charming good looks to get more out of life? Why waste time fighting when you could give solace to girls who have way too much time on their hands? We'd have tons of stuffed animals and you can have all the cake you want. I promise if you join, we'll always have plenty of sweets on hand." _

_Honey-senpai was in fantasy land. He quickly snapped out of it though. "Really? I mean, No. I don't like sweets so you can forget it! And for the record, I don't like cutesy things either." _

_Tamaki placed the bunny in front of his face. "No way. Not into cutesy stuff." _

_The bunny seemed to follow his every move. "I don't like it. At all."_

"_I don't know much about martial arts, please forgive me, but I was wondering, do you think you could tell me what true strength is?" Honey-senpai gasped. "I may be out of line, but hiding your true self and putting on heirs, doesn't seem any different than running away for me. I would think embracing the things you truly like, and being able to enjoy them, is worth more than anything." He then stood up. _

"_To just be yourself. I believe that's what true strength really is." He took hold of Honey-senpai's hand. "I'll be back to ask you again." He handed him the bunny. "Please, consider it senpai." _

_He then seemed to moonwalk away. Mori-senpai stood behind the wall with his arms crossed._

…

"_What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" his father asked as they sat in private. Mori-senpai wasn't there this time. _

"_Well, there's something that I've been a little confused about father. Can you please tell me what true strength is?"_

"_I will show you my son, so you can experience it directly," his father said as he stood up. "Come with me to the dojo!"_

…

"It has been said, that Honey-senpai's father is the most talented fighter in the Haninozuka history," Tamaki said.

…

"_And…Begin!" the judge called out. His father smirked as he took his position in the form of a dangerous cat. He then jumped at his son. Honey-senpai's face darkened as his eyes narrowed. _

…

"So, he beat his own father to a bloody pulp?" Rin asked.

"Precisely," the twins said as they linked arms with her.

"If I remember correctly, Honey-senpai had already attained his current level of martial arts prowess, which is quite extraordinary. Well, am I right?"

"Uh huh!" he said as he sat on Mori-senpai's back.

"Rumour has it that the referee that happened to be officiated was Japan's secretary of defence at the time. And he begged Honey-senpai to never fight in public again. At least, not at his full potential."

"And why would he do that?" Haruhi asked.

"If the world ever saw Honey-senpai's true abilities, they'd suspect Japan of having a weapon of mass destruction. The secretary was worried that it might upset the U.N and that they would take it all out on Japan."

"How awful," the twins said.

"Wow, that is…unbelievable," Rin muttered.

"So Honey-senpai quit the Karate Club," Hikaru said.

"And decided to become a member of the Host Club," Kaoru said.

"All things considered, Honey-senpai's behaviour is too unconventional for even the Haninozuka's to contain."

"So because of that, his younger brother had a more strict upbringing. One more in keeping the Haninozuka standard."

"Sometimes I think Chika-chan hates me because I'm not following the family rules," Honey-senpai said.

"Alright gentlemen! Time for 'Haninozuka Brothers Reconciliation'!" Tamaki shouted.

"Hooray~!" the twins cheered.

"I knew he was going to say that," Haruhi stated.

"You know, you could have stopped it," Ren said.

"But where's the fun in that?" Rin asked.

"Sometimes, I really hate you two," she cursed.

"Oh, we know," they said with smirks. Haruhi groaned.

It was five minutes past three and the Karate Club had just about started. "Alright, ten minute break," Chika announced and the men bowed and chanted.

"You know, Captain Haninozuka sure is a strict Captain. No matter how hard we try, it's like he's never satisfied. I really don't think I can take it," one of the man said as they sighed.

"Tell me about it," another one said.

"He's a tough captain. But he's nowhere near skilled as his older brother Mitskuni," another one said. Chika rushed forward and almost punched him. The man fell backwards as he gasped.

"You will not talk about my brother in my presence, understand?" Chika asked as he glared at the man.

"Look! It's Chika! He's so adorable!" a girl said from outside the door. There were three other girls with her.

"Oh wow, he's so totally cute," the second one said.

"He's not bad. But he's no match for his older brother Honey!" the other two girls said. "He's the cutest thing we've ever seen!"

They suddenly stopped as Chika appeared behind the door. He slammed it so loud that the men inside jumped.

"What are you idiots looking at? Get started on the next drill!"

"But, we're still on our break sir."

"You've barley broken a sweat. You bums don't need a break. Start working harder before you're all out!"

"Yes sir!" the men chanted.

…

Outside, seven of the members stared through the window. Haruhi and Rin wore both in the middle, considering they were the shortest. Kaoru and Hikaru were on either side of them, though Hikaru had placed his hand on Rin's head so he could see better. Behind them, stood Tamaki. Kyoya was next to Kaoru and Ren was next to Hikaru.

"Well so far, it looks like a simple inferiority complex," Hikaru said.

"He's always being compared to Honey-senpai. That's why he feels such animosity towards him. His older brother is more attractive, more popular and a better martial artist than he is," Kaoru said. "I think he's just letting his jealousy get the best of him." Kyoya adjusted his glasses.

"It's totally normal and way boring. We're gonna go find something more entertaining," they said as they ran off.

"Hey. Come back here you two," Tamaki said. "Why are you suddenly being so uncooperative?"

"Well, we thought there'd be an interesting secret reason why they're fighting. This is just lame."

"So Honey-senpai and Chika's feelings aren't exciting enough?!"

"It's okay Tama-chan," Honey-senpai said as he walked over. "Really."

"But, Honey-senpai," Tamaki started.

"Your brother shouldn't treat you like that," Rin said.

"It's alright. Don't worry about me. So what if Chika-chan hates me? I would be happy just to see him grow up and be healthy. He is my brother after all."

"Uh, he's already a lot taller than you Honey-senpai," Kaoru said.

"Yeah, he's pretty grown and plenty healthy," Hikaru said.

…

"Excuse me, can you please keep it down." That was Chika and he looked pretty pissed. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you stay away from me at school, Mitskuni."

He then lunged forward and tried to kick him. The twins, Tamaki and Rin just barley dodged the attack, fearing for their lives.

"…You…alien. Would you just leave me alone?"

"But Chika-chan," Honey-senpai whimpered.

"What's he mean alien?" the twins asked.

"Why would he call him that? Just because your brother's stronger than you, doesn't give you the right to call him an alien," Haruhi said.

"I doubt that's the reason why he'd be an 'alien'," Rin said.

"Yeah, why are you so against cake and stuffed animals?" Tamaki asked.

"The girl's right. If it was just the cake and the stuffed animals, I wouldn't have said anything. Let's get this straight. I didn't call my brother an alien because he's stronger than me. The thing is, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN HIM DEVOUR AN ENTIRE CAKE?! DON'T TELL ME YOU GUYS THINK THAT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL!? HE HAS THREE WHOLE CAKES A NIGHT FOR DESSERT! SERIOUSLY, THREE CAKES A NIGHT?! AND HE NEVER GAINS WEIGHT!"

…

_Haninozuka dining room, after supper_

"_I humbly accept this yummy dessert!" Honey-senpai said as he sat in the chair with his knife and fork. Almost suddenly, all three cakes had disappeared. "That was delicious." Chika shook in fear from behind the open door._

…

_So, Honey-senpai eats that way at home too, _Tamaki thought.

"And then, something crazy occurred last week. I happened to wake up in the middle of the night, and I noticed that the light was on in the dining room."

…

"_What's going on? It's the middle of the night, ya know?" Chika said as he peered in through the door._

"_Hey Chika-chan," Honey-senpai said creepily. There were about five huge cakes in front of him and the room was only lit by a candelabra. _

"_No way, he's eating cake at this hour?" he asked himself._

"_I'm glad you're here. Once a week I have a special cake night, where I eat all the cake I want. Usu-chan here helped me come up with the idea." Usu-chan looked insane as drool leaked from its mouth. Chika started sweating and was shaking. "Would you like to join us?" He then made a scary, creepy laugh._

…

"Come on, be honest. THERE'S NO WAY THAT A NORMAL HUMAN BEING COULD EAT THAT MUCH CAKE! AREN'T YOU TERRIFIED? I BET HE GETS SIGNALS FROM HIS HOME PLANET THROUGH THAT BUNNY OF HIS! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT HE'S AN ALIEN?!"

"When you think about it-" Haruhi started.

"Everything Chika just said to us-" Tamaki said.

"Makes perfect sense-" the twins said.

"Who would have guessed," Rin finished.

"…I don't know though," Chika said. "There was a time when Mitskuni and I got along really well. While it's true, my brother has always been fond of cute things and had more of a sweet tooth than I have, I still respected his ability to avoid that stuff, even though he loved it.

"And then this idiot came along and brainwashed him with some ridiculous nonsense. Something about acknowledging who you really are and just being yourself. That, that's true strength."

The first years looked at Tamaki as he looked away from them, shocked at what he did.

"Not long after that, he fell apart and became the alien he is today." Chika fell to the ground on his knees with his hands in his hair.

"Oh I see, so all of Chika's troubles-" Hikaru said.

"Trace back to you. Isn't that true boss?" Kaoru asked.

"What are you talking about? I didn't mean to! There's got to be some way we can fix this! Come on guys!"

Mori-senpai placed his hand on Honey-senpai's shoulder.

"There is a way to solve this, ya know?" he asked.

"You've got it figured out?" Tamaki asked, relieved.

"Mitskuni, you know what to do."

"Listen Chika-chan, I never meant to upset you. I didn't know you hated sweets that much. I'm very sorry."

"…That's not even what he said," Rin said annoyed.

"Oh no, looks like he missed the point completely," Haruhi said

"Nobody can make me change who I am and I'm really grateful to Tama-chan and all of the Host Club, because they showed me that. So, let's settle this like men. In the Haninozuka style, Yasuchika." Chika turned around and glared.

…

They now stood in the middle of a windy grassy field, which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

_Since when does Ouran have a field like this? _Haruhi thought.

"Guys, where the hell are we?" Rin asked.

"We don't know," the twins shrugged.

"And don't forget Chika-chan," Honey-senpai said. "This is a one point match." They stared each other down.

"So what happens if I win?" Chika asked.

"If you win, I'll stop eating cake in the middle of the night."

"…Wait, that's all?" Rin asked.

"Alright."

"He's okay with that?!"

"Are you ready for battle men?" Mori-senpai asked. "Then, you may begin."

Honey-senpai kicked and Chika flipped backwards, dodging it. He landed swiftly on the ground, Honey-senpai landing shortly after him. Haruhi gasped. This was strangely familiar. Honey-senpai punched at Chika several times. Chika dodged each one before he tried tripping Honey-senpai over by sweeping his leg under his feet. Honey-senpai launched himself away. He then pulled out a steel pipe from…out of nowhere.

"Is it just me, or is this fight turning out like the one they had earlier?" Tamaki asked.

"You're not the only one," Rin said.

"Yes, but this time their roles are reversed," Kyoya said.

"Mitskuni has already planned how this whole fight will pan out," Mori-senpai said.

Honey-senpai swung the steel pipe at Chika who dodged.

"Yasuchika will attack with the shuriken any minute now."

Just as he said that, Chika pulled out his shuriken and threw them at Honey-senpai. He swung the steel pipe and deflected all of them with the simplest of ease.

"Whoa, he called it," the twins said.

"That's incredible!" Rin said.  
"Even though they're using weapons," Ren muttered.

"Ah, Mori-senpai? Where do they hide these shuriken?" Haruhi asked, but went ignored, as usual.

"I have been watching these two brothers spar for many years and it didn't take long before I noticed that in every match, Yasuchika incorporates moves that Mitskuni used in the previous match. Mitskuni realised it as well and he always tries to give his brother the opportunity to practise those techniques. He may call him an alien, but as far as martial arts are concerned, Yasuchika has a deep respect for Mitskuni and his abilities.

"I think all he really wants is to be like his older brother. They're connected, just as two siblings ought to be. And personally, I think that sibling rivalry is perfectly normal. There's no need to worry about the outcome of this match. I can already tell that Mitskuni is planning to throw the fight so Yasuchika beat him. Trust me, I know everything there is to know about him."

"Defend yourself!" Honey-senpai screamed as he lunged at Chika and kicked him right in the face. He wasn't holding back. Chika fell to the ground, rather painfully and groaned.

Mori-senpai went silent. "Hmmm," was all he said before he fell to the ground.

"Yay~! I'm the winner~!" Honey-senpai cheered as he jumped in the air. "Cake! Cake! Cake! I have an idea," he said as he picked up Usu-chan. "Since I won, I think I should have special cake night _three_ times a week!" Chika lied on the ground, painfully defeated. He seemed to twitch.

"Is he alright?" Rin asked as she went over to him. Meanwhile, Mori-senpai was also painfully beaten, in a mentally way.

"Don't let it get you down, Mori-senpai," the twins and Tamaki said as they bent down next to him.

"Come on Yasuchika, up you get," Rin said as she helped him stand. She handed him his broken glasses.

"Thanks," he muttered as he tried to stand up straight.

"No problem," she said and he blushed. He turned his head the other way so that no one could see it though.

_So Honey-senpai's love of cake exceeds his love for his brother,_ Haruhi thought in mid-disgust. _Man, he's a horrible person._

* * *

Honey-senpai sat on the top of the roof, watching the sun set.

"_I would think embracing the things you truly like, and being able to enjoy them, is worth more than anything. To just be yourself. I believe that's what true strength really is."_

He nodded to himself. "I love you~!" he said to his Usu-chan as he hugged it tight, with a gigantic smile on his face.

* * *

**Authors Note: **I don't know what to say anymore. I've come to the conclusion that I don't understand Honey-senpai at all, and neither do the Hosts…Oh well.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 – Lobelia Girls' Academy Strikes Back!**

Tamaki had a big grin on his face as he pressed the doorbell. The sound kicked in and he smiled even bigger.

"Haruhi-chan~! Please come out and play~!" the twins, Tamaki and Honey-senpai sung. Rin, Ren, Kyoya and Mori-senpai all looked at each other, all of them annoyed in some way. The door slowly opened and there stood a very tired messy looking Ranka. The members became frozen. They stiffened.

"Sorry, we have the wrong apartment," Tamaki said as they all quickly rushed away."

"Uh guys," Rin said from the door. "Sorry about them," she said to Ranka and he nodded. He patted her on the head before he turned to face the male members who were walking away.

"Hey. Hey wait a second!" he called as he rushed after them.

He somehow then them all rolled up in a ball. He rolled them all the way back to the door and inside the apartment.

…

"Oh don't act so traumatized that you've seen me without my makeup on," Ranka said. "Even trannies get stubble first thing in the morning, which is more than I can say for any of you."

"Ha! You're so funny!" Tamaki said as he laughed nervously. "My dear Ranka, I hope this day finds you in excellent health."

He then held up a white box that had 'gift' written on it. Ranka gasped as he punched Tamaki right in the face. The box went flying into the air. He then caught the box with one hand while his right foot lied on Tamaki's head, pushing him into the ground. Ranka looked at the box in delight.

"Ranka please, that's my head," Tamaki said as he struggled. He tried lifting his head but Ranka shoved it back to the floor.

"Oh silly me, I forgot my manners. Please, forgive my appearance. It's so nice to see all of you. Oh, and who is this lovely man?" Ren stepped forward.

"I'm Ren Hayashi. A university student. Also, I'm Rin's older brother," he said as he bowed.

"Oh, what a polite young man!" He then grabbed Rin's hand and pulled her forward. "Wow, good looks do run in the family. Oh my, you've gotten even lovelier than the last time we met!"

"Thank you Ranka," Rin said with a smile.

"Oh how delightful! And you all bought me a gift! How sweet of you!" He then opened the box and gasped.

"Is Haru-chan here?" Honey-senpai asked.

"I'm afraid not. She's out with the girls today. They picked her up this morning and you know woman, heavenly hell knows when they'll be back."

"So, she's not home?" Honey-senpai asked sadly.

"Well, I guess Haruhi is entitled to spend some time with her friends from middle school," Tamaki said whimpering as he sat back up, his face red and sore. Ranka smiled as he took a big bite out of a pink sweet from the box.

"I can't believe she has friends," the twins said as the Host Club walked out the room.

"This is why I was against a surprise visit," Kyoya said.

"Come to think of it, I don't think I even recognised any of her new friends," Ranka said as he ate the sweet. "But then again, you never call tell, can you? Haruhi has always made friends easily. Just imagine it, my little girl, out and about with students from Lobelia Academy."

"Did you say," Tamaki said as he placed a hand on Ranka's shoulder. Ranka was surprised that they had returned so quick.

"Lo-" Hikaru said.

"Be-" Kaoru cringed.

"Li-" Tamaki shivered.

"AAAAAA~!" they sung in horror.

…

"Lobelia~!" the three sung in a low note.

"Saint Lobelia Academy. Highschool second year, Benio Amakusa," the tall girl in the middle said.

"Lobelia~!" they sung.

"Second year student, Chizuru Maihara."

"Lobelia~!" they sung up a note.

"And first year student, Hinako Tsuwabuki."

"Lobelia~!" they sung in a high note.

"We are Saint Lobelia Academy's lustrous, White Lily League. Also known as…" Benio said with a smirk.

"The Zuka Club!" they said in unison.

…

The girls around them cheered as the three walked past them. The crowd as insane. The girls were squealing like mad. They signs up and photos of the three girls.

"Lady Benibara, good morning to you!" numerous girls squealed at the same time.

"And good morning my dears. You look ravishing," Benio said as she winked at the right side of girls. Those girls squealed.

"I-I took it upon myself to make you lunch today Benibara," a girl said as she emerged from the crowd and stood in front of her, holding a woven basket. "It's your favourite! Little octopus shaped wieners!" Benio smiled.

"Thank you. Oh, the irony," she said. The girl looked up. Benio then lifted her chin up. "Well my dear, you're just as red and adorable as the octopus. Could it be that you wish me to feast on you?" she asked with a smirk. The girl went completely red.

"Lady Benibara! I volunteer to be eaten!" a girl screamed from the crowd. All the girls then squealed as they seemed to turn into little red octopuses.

"Calm down people!"

"Keep your place in line!"

"Wait! I said no passing notes without permission!"

"Please remain calm everyone!"

"Those in front crouch down!"

"Your fan executives certainly run a tight shift. They must be exhausted," Chizuru said as they walked past.

"I don't envy them one bit," Hinako said.

…

"Chizuru," Benio said as they opened the door. "Where's our guest?"

"In the changing room, of course," she replied as they entered the room. Hinako ran over to one of the curtains.

"How's that size?" she asked as she opened it. Benio gasped as she turned around.

"You're gorgeous, milady," she gasped. "I mean, Haruhi." The curtain fully opened up and there was Haruhi, wearing the Lobelia uniform. And it fit her so well. She did look good.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Chizuru said. They all then latched onto her as she screamed out. "Seeing you in that dress, I don't think I can handle it."

"You look like a princess straight from the pages of a fairy tale," Hinako said. A tear slid down Benio's cheek.

"Oh my dear, you and that uniform were destined for each other. It's most befitting an innocent girl like you." She then wrapped her arms around Haruhi's neck from behind. "Once still unfamiliar with young love's tender kiss."

…

"Ahhh! Oh no!" Ranka screamed out. "What if the Zuka Club entices Haruhi to do something outrageously scandalous?"

"Entices her?" Tamaki asked.

"Something scandalous?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Besides the things she does know?" Rin asked but the twins placed their hands over her mouth.

"Just suppose she's forced to kiss someone!"

"Kiss?" Tamaki asked as he imagined Haruhi leaning in for a kiss. He gasped as his face turned as red as a tomato.

"As I recall-" Hikaru started.

"There was that dance party when-" Kaoru said.

"Haruhi had to-" Rin said. Ranka gasped, but before they could finish, Tamaki tied the three together with a bandage, covering both the twins' mouths.

"This is completely unorthodox!" Rin yelled.

"Aren't they a laugh?" Tamaki asked, laughing nervously.

"Just what exactly goes on at that Host Club of yours Suoh?"

"Why, nothing a loving father wouldn't approve of."

"I'm sure my father wouldn't approve of any-"

"That's enough out of you, my darling daughter," Tamaki said as he covered her mouth. "We must rescue Haruhi without delay!"

They all disappeared and all that was left were sparkles.

…

"Maiden," Benio said as she the three went back to hugging her.

"Hey! Will you wait a minute?!" Haruhi screamed. "Stop it! Now get off!" She then pushed the three off her. "Now hold on. What is this? Can you explain it to me? Cause on one moment, I'm on my way to the supermarket and then the next I'm brought here."

**A LITTLE EARILER (10:38)**

"_I'll be back in a bit," Haruhi said as she walked out the door._

"_Be careful!" Ranka said as he waved goodbye. As she walked down the steps she was suddenly grabbed and lifted up._

"_AH!" she screamed out._

"_Target-" Chizuru said._

"_Captured," Hinako said. _

"_Wait! What the…?" _

_Ranka looked over the railing. "Oh wow, Lobelia," he said to himself. _

_A limo then drove up. The window rolled down._

"_Good. Bring her in," Benio said, wearing a pair of sunglasses._

"_Roger!" The window then closed._

"_Hold on. WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" They then chucked her in the limo and drove off. _

…

"The three of you have just about subtlety as the Host Club does," she said with a sigh.

"How dare you maiden!" Benio screamed as she grabbed onto Haruhi's shoulders. "We are nothing like those idiots!"

"Rin works for that club too," Haruhi said.

"Yes, but she is not an idiot," Chizuru said.

"We're talking about those selfish boys," Hinako said.

"Oh! Forgive my outburst! It's only natural for you to be upset! After all, in our haste, we whisked you away in your night shirt," Benio said dramatically.

"Those weren't pyjamas you know. That happens to be the way I usually dress," Haruhi said annoyed.

"All theatrics aside maiden, we have a small favour to ask you. As you may know, one of our responsibilities at the Zuka Club is to arrange the regular performance of musical numbers and original plays."

"Today is called the 'Pink Carnation Day', where we celebrate the birth of the White Lily League's founder by putting on the most glorious production of the year," Chizuru said. "We've been rehearsing non-stop in preparation for today's performance."

"Tragically, the young actress in our play was injured and is currently in the hospital," Hinako said. "But even so, without her, you know what they say, 'The show must go on'. Which means-"

"This is your big opportunity to be a part of the theatre!" they all said in unison, striking a pose.

"I can't."

Silence.

"Not a chance."

More silence.

"I'm sorry," she said as she bowed.

Silence. They seemed to be frozen.

"You'd only have to memorise a handful of lines," Benio said. "For most of the play, the character you'd be portraying is silent."

"The role is actually more symbolic than anything," Chizuru said.

"She just stands there, looking beautiful."

"You can manage that, now can't you?" Hinako asked. "We promise, it'll be the easiest thing ever."

"I'll let myself out," Haruhi said as she opened the door.

Benio then let out a scream as she began to cry. She fell to the ground and a purple spotlight shined down on her.

"Forgive me," Benio cried. "I will forever fall short of your legacy! You must be so ashamed. Oh mother."

"Oh Benio," Chizuru said as she got out a tissue.

"Don't talk like that," Hinako said as she wiped her eyes.

"…So then your mother," Haruhi muttered. The spotlight had disappeared and the room was brightly lit again.

"Benio's late mother was a distinguished graduate of Saint Lobelia Academy. Prominate in the White Lily League," Chizuru said. "Till this day, it is said that no woman looks lovelier in men's clothing."

"That's right," Hinako said. "To honour her, we celebrate 'Pink Carnation Day' with the same flare pageantry that made the woman's name synonymous with the Zuka Club. Her whole life, Benio has dreamed nothing more, than to follow in her mother's footsteps." Benio slowly stood up.

"If today's performance is cancelled, than that dream will crash against the crappy shores of fate!" Benio cried.

"That sounds, just, awful," Haruhi said saddened as she looked down at the ground. Benio lifted her head, clearly not upset.

…

"If my daughter is being held captive in there, I'm not going to sit back and do nothing," Ranka said as the host club stood outside the gates of Saint Lobelia Academy. "But, we have to play it cool. The Zuka Club is ruthless. Once you become tangled in their web of lies, you could go bankrupt trying to get back out again."

"How do you know so much sir?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Haruhi doesn't seem like the type to get involved with their kind," Kyoya said.

"You're right. But neither did Kotoko. She'd always seemed like she was such a strong woman."

"Kotoko?" the twins asked.

"Haruhi's late mother," Kyoya said. "Someone she constantly looks up to and sub-consciously tries to imitate. There may be some connection between her and the infamous Zuka Club."

"I was so blind then," Ranka said as he sighed. "We were newlyweds, and I was in love."

**RANKA AND KOTOKO, WHEN THEY WERE NEWLYWEDS**

"_So what are we having for dinner, my reason for living?" Ranka asked his wife, Kotoko as they sat at the table. At this time, Haruhi was in her mother's stomach._

"_Miso soup, mezashi and rice, sweetheart," she said._

"_That's excellent! You both need your calcium!"_

…

"What's mezashi?" the twins asked.

"They're dried salted sardines," Kyoya said.

"DON'T INTERRUPT MY FLASHBACK!" Ranka screamed.

…

"On day, while cleaning, I discovered my wife's dirty little secret."

…

_He was rummaging through a cardboard box, pulling out spare pieces of paper and other junk. He then noticed a box with the word 'Zu' written on it. He opened it and saw pictures of his wife in her younger years, dressed in horrible costumes and wearing too much makeup, performing with a woman dressed in drag._

…

"It was a collection of Zuka Club memorial!" All of the host club members screamed, well, everyone expect Mori-senpai and Kyoya. But, what else did you expect?

"What are we going to do?" Hikaru screamed.

"What if Haruhi wants to join the Zuka Club so she can be just like her mother?" Kaoru asked in a panic.

"Oh god! That would be horrible!" Rin screamed.

"Is Haru-chan really gonna go bankrupt?" Honey-senpai asked. "She's practically broke already!"

"Don't worry. Our girl's worth a small fortune in cute."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rin asked as Tamaki imagined Haruhi naked, only with a white sheet wrapped around her.

…

"_I know I'm flat as a board, but if you would just take pity on me."_

…

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Tamaki screamed. "Kyoya! Order us some Lobelia uniforms right now! We're going undercover!"

"Overruled." Tamaki was kicked in the back by Ranka. "Men who only dress in women's clothes recreationally are an insult to us professionals," he said as he walked on top of him. He slammed his foot onto Tamaki's head. "You don't want to insult me, do you? Now listen up! To infiltrate Lobelia, you have to do exactly as I tell you. Exactly." They all gulped.

"Uh…can I get up now?" Tamaki asked.

…

The girls were all in 'Rehearsal Room #1' where they were rehearsing for 'The Senorita's Love'. It seemed to be going well. There was piano music in the background.

"Oh Mary-Anne, how many lonely nights have I prayed that we would be together again," Benio acted. "And how many times have the powers demanded that we be apart. That our love be forbidden."

"Oh my lord Frederick," Haruhi shouted with no emotion.

"Oh!" Benio screamed as she fell to the ground. "I'm slain by this gunshot wound. Alas, I can draw breath no more."

"My lord Frederick."

"Mary-Anne, with your arms holding me close, all this pain becomes not. I am overwhelmed, with peace." The girls around them were crying. "Lovely angel, your gaze is my paradise. And you are the very image of my beloved mother." There were ballet dancers behind them, performing their small dance. As Benio continued to talk, Haruhi thought.

_This guy sure talks a lot for someone who's supposed to be dying. I wonder how long he can hold out. I think they'd be kind to get him a doctor, or something. _

"My lord Frederick," Haruhi said.

…

Outside, six of them stared through the window.

"Can you see? What's she doing?" Honey-senpai asked.

"It looks like she's playing the heroine of some sentimental tragedy," Tamaki said. "But…"

…

"My lord Frederick!"

…

"She sounds like a robot," Tamaki, Ranka, Rin and the twins all said as they dropped their heads down in shame. "Or a daikon radish."

**[i.e., a wooden actress]**

"Even as her father I can't stand this," Ranka cried.

"Can someone please make her stop?" Hikaru asked.

"How many times is she going to repeat that line?" Tamaki asked.

"Till our ear drums start to bleed," Rin groaned.

"I think, she's about to start singing," Kaoru said.

"NOOO! Her grades in music have always been absolutely awful!"

The song started to play and Haruhi began singing. The Host Club gasped in awe. Who knew she was good at singing? Suddenly, it stopped, but Haruhi's mouth continued to move. "Huh?"

…

"Oh. I'm sorry, my foot got tangled up in the chord," Hinako said as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck.

"Be careful," Chizuru said as she plugged the chord back in and pressed play. The voice began again and Haruhi's mouth moved.

…

"Oh, she's lip-syncing," Ranka said.

"Lip-syncing?" Honey-senpai asked.

…

"If only we could have a real singer," Benio sighed.

"And a real piano player," Chizuru said as they watched Haruhi sigh as the music stopped.

"If you want one of those, I know someone who could help."

"Really? You do? Who?" Hinako asked.

"Rin. She's a fantastic musician. I think she can sing too."

"Excellent," Chizuru said.

"It seems we'll be reuniting with our beloved young maiden after all," Benio said with a smirk as they left the room.

…

"Hey! Newbies!" They turned around and saw a bunch of girls. They were all wearing a pink t-shirt that said 'Benibara' on it. Oh yeah, all the male members were wearing those two. Rin had refused though, but she was forced to wear their school uniform. "If you want to be a part of the Benibara fan club, then you have to follow the rules! Now up on your feet!" The male members stood up, some more diligently than others.

"To be a full-fledged member, your contact must be on reproach at all times! Now all together! With enthusiasm! Let me hear those fan club mottoes!"

"Benibara! Please hang in there for your adoring fans today! Lady Benibara, you look magnificent!"

The males and the squad of females continued this chant for some time.

"Okay. Now that we're in, what's the rest of your plan?" Tamaki whispered into Ranka's ear.

"Blend in. If you want to get close to the Zuka Club, you've got to pretend you're a die-hard fan," Ranka whispered. "And watch yourself. These girls get pretty competitive. More than you could imagine."

Rin and Kyoya stood at the window, watching in amusement.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Kyoya asked with a smirk.

"Very," she said with a giant smile. Just as the leader announced for them to take a break, Rin felt herself being lifted off the ground and carried away. She yelped, but no one seemed to hear it. Kyoya turned around.

_Strange, _he thought.

…

The twins and Honey-senpai as they sat back down on the floor.

"Please, just let me die," Ren said as he lied on the floor.

"No can do Ren," Ranka said as he pulled him up.

"Glad to have ya newbies," a girl said as she walked over.

"What do you like most about Benibara?" They looked at each other, not sure what to say.

"Oh~! Everything!" Ranka said with a smile. "The way she walks, and sings, and the way she looks in coattails. Why even the shape of her head." The girls giggled.

"He's a professional," the twins and Tamaki said. "He's got blending in with the ladies down to an art."

"I'm just so excited to see the play! It's supposed to be a tragedy."

"It's called, 'The Senioritis Love'. Lord Frederick fakes his own suicide as revenge against his father for coming between he and his lover Mary-Anne. But the gun he uses, supposedly filled with blanks is actually filled with live rounds."

"Oh, that's so terrible."

"I have my suspicions about the girl playing Mary-Anne though."

"Whoever she is, if she ruins Lady Benibara's play, our very own maiden warriors will be waiting patiently in the wings to critique her performance!" the leader said as she pointed.

There were four girls carrying different types of weapons.

"Yep. Haruhi's dead," Ren said.

"If Haruhi has to put on a performance in front of these physcos, she'll be done for!" Hikaru said.

"They'll beat the daylights out of her," Honey-senpai said.

"HARUHI!" Ranka cried.

"Don't you worry," Tamaki said. "We're going to get her out of that place. And yet, even as we speak, the curtain rising is upon us."

"Wait a minute, where's my sister?" Ren asked. They all gasped as they frantically looked around.

"You mean the young blonde girl? I saw two girls drag her off somewhere," the leader said.

"No way," Ranka said.

"They've caught-" Tamaki started.

"Another victim," Kaoru said.

"RIN! Hang on! We're coming to get you!" Hikaru shouted as he sprinted for the stage.

"Wait for us!" the rest of the members called as they ran.

…

Rin opened her eyes. She was in a giant room. It was 'Rehearsal Room #1'. The room she has just been peeking into it. The door then opened and there was Benio, Chizuru, Hinako and Haruhi. Benio gasped as she rushed over.

"Dear maiden, you look absolutely stunning in that uniform."

"It looks like it was made for you," Chizuru said.

"You look like a princess!" Hinako said as the three engulfed her into a hug. She screamed as she shoved them off her.

"What the hell is going on here?" she screamed. "Haruhi! Help me out here!"

"Sorry. I can't do anything," she said.

"Dear maiden, you must have heard about our performance this evening. As you know, Haruhi is our little star for the night. But the only problem is, she's told us that she can't sing and that she is musically unable."

"So what does that have to do with kidnapping me?"

"Be patient maiden," Chizuru said.

"Wipe that frown off your face, it isn't good for your lovely face," Hinako said as she hugged her arm.

"But even with that glare, she still is a cute young girl."

"Be quiet you two," Benio said. They shushed. "As I was saying, it just doesn't feel right to have a recording on a stage performance. And what from our darling Haruhi has told us, you can play piano and you can sing. Isn't that like music to our ears?"

"Haruhi. You told them?!"

"I'm sorry Rin. I didn't know it was such a big deal." Rin groaned as she held her head between her hands. Quickly though, she lifted it back up.

"Look. I know what you may have heard, but I'm not that great at either of those things. I just-"

"There is no need for words, young maiden. You shall perform with us for tonight's show!"

"I can't. I won't. Sorry," Rin said as she started walking out the door. She opened it but then heard something.

"Rin!" She gasped. It was Hikaru. She tried rushing out the door, but someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

"Dear maiden, you mustn't be persuaded by atrocious boys. Especially that red haired idiot."

"That idiot, happens to be my boyfrie-"

"Do not say that word! I'm sorry for my outburst."

"Benibara, maybe we need to use a different strategy?" Chizuru asked. Benio said, but nodded.

"You're right. Our young maiden does not seem to want to join us. Maybe, if something would happen to that idiot…"

"Don't do anything to him!" Rin snapped. Benio smirked.

"I see. So he has brainwashed you into actually caring about him. And here I thought it was some stupid phase. We know those idiots are here, and we know why. Our squad of maiden warriors, at my whim, could do something to them. To him. I know that you wouldn't want that-"

"I'll do it."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll perform. Just, don't hurt them."

"Excellent. Girls, get the sheet music. This young maiden needs to rehearse before the show starts."

…

The hosts crouched behind the seats of the theatre, moving up and down the rows. They were staring at the stage.

…

Benio smirked as she stood on the balcony, looking down.

"So, you've actually all wound your way in after all, you vulgar, incompetent Host Club. And here I thought I was making a brilliant scheme." She then turned around. "My dears! It's almost time! I'm counting on you." Chizuru and Hinako nodded. "Remember, I want us to think of today as our audition for the Crimson Goddesses." She then looked at Rin and Haruhi.

…

"Hold on," Ranka said. "Where'd Kyoya run off too?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him in a while," Tamaki said as he looked around.

"Probably off making some evil scheme," Ren said.

"Hey look! He's up there!" Honey-senpai said as he pointed up to the top of the room where there was a glass window. He was walking with a woman. The room was like a control panel.

…

"It's such an honour to have one of the Ootori boys come and drop by to pay us a visit," the woman said.

…

"That jackass," Tamaki muttered.

"He moves quickly," Kaoru said.

…

"Very nice setup," Kyoya said. "And that's the orchestra pit I take it."

"That's right. And just above that we have our fully equipped digital backdrop. Here, let me show you." She then typed something on the computer and a screen came down. "We can project any high resolution image and use it as part of the scenery without unnecessary set changes. Isn't technology just amazing?" She went through different types of images.

"Yes," Kyoya said slyly.

…

The doors opened and a hoard of screaming girls ran in, trying to get the best seat. The Host Club were forced to the wall near the stairs to avoid being trampled on. The lights then dimmed and the girls shushed each other.

"At this point, we'll just have to rescue Haruhi mid show," Tamaki said. The curtains opened and the audience clapped.

"Here's her entrance," Mori-senpai said. Haruhi's silhouette stood in the centre.

There was a strange shaped silhouette on the side with a girl sitting in front of it. Tamaki could tell that it was a piano and then he gasped out in horror.

"Oh no. She's in the show," he said and the rest of the members gasped.

"Rin's in the show?" the twins asked. They were met with a bunch of angry girls shushing them. The music started and a spotlight shined down on Haruhi.

She started lip-syncing as the singer started. As she lifted her head, the host club shrieked in horror. Her makeup was way too heavy. It looked horrible.

"YOUR MAKEUP'S TOO HEAVY HARUHI!" Tamaki screamed.

"I can't bear to see her like this," the twins said.

"Enough! I'm getting her out of here right-"

"Just look at her up there. She's much more radiant than she was in rehearsal," Ranka said as he placed his hand on Tamaki's shoulder.

"Well, her cheeks are rosier," Tamaki said.

"That'd be the makeup," Hikaru whispered.

"And her skin looks like its glowing."

"That'd be the lights," Kaoru said. But just then, another spotlight appeared. It was on a girl with long blonde hair on a piano. There was a microphone attached to it. They all gasped.

"And there's Rin's entrance," Mori-senpai said.

"Rin-chan can sing?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Her grades in music were outstanding," Ren said.

Rin started playing the chords on the piano and the room went silent. Whoever was singing Haruhi's part had stopped to let the beautiful music fill the room. Then, she started to sing. The host club was amazed as some of them blushed.

Surprisingly though, her makeup wasn't caked on like Haruhi's. It was subtle and hardly noticeable. Besides the lipstick. Then, 'Haruhi' began to sing with her. The two sounded lovely together. Rin provided the higher harmony.

Haruhi had on a big poufy pink dress, while Rin had on a slimming light pink dress.

Haruhi's hair was outrageous, styled into two giant pigtails while Rin's was in a perfect bun, simple and elegant.

"Why the hell does Rin look better than Haruhi does?" Ren asked. The host club shrugged. Hikaru was in a trance.

"We can't interfere with their performance. They look like they're having the time of their lives up there," Tamaki said. "Let them have their moment. We can sneak them out of here, afterwards."

It was now about halfway through the play and Rin had entered the scene. So far, they were impressed with how the production was going. Though Haruhi didn't help with that.

…

"Dear Mary-Anne," Rin said as she walked to her. "You know how his father won't stand for this marriage. Are you even happy with this man?" Haruhi nodded stiffly. Rin sighed. "IF you truly are in love with this man, true love must be not keep a part. I will help you two, in any way I can." Benio smiled.

"Oh dearest, you are too kind," she said as she grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Thank you for your help."

"There is no need to thank me. Why should love be denied? I couldn't stand for me and my true love to be a part."

Clearly, from Benio's reaction, that line was not supposed to be a part of the play. Rin looked out into the audience and winked at Hikaru. He blushed. She could see them. But he smiled.

"Well, I best be off. I have most important things to do." She then curtsied as she walked off the stage. Ren smiled.

_Well done, sis. _

…

"Oh my lord Frederick," Haruhi said stiffly as Benio fell to the ground, a purple spotlight shining on them.

"I am slain by this fatal shotgun wound. And alas, I am to draw breath no more."

"Oh my lord Frederick!"

"Mary-Anne, with your arms holding me close, all this pain becomes not. I am overwhelmed, with peace. Lovely angel, your gaze is my paradise. And you are the very image of my beloved mother."

…

"The kiss scene is coming up," a girl whispered.

"But it just falls short of their embrace, right?"

"Of course, Lady Benibara would never actually kiss her."

"…Kiss…scene?" Tamaki muttered to himself.

"_Lord Frederick fakes his own suicide as revenge against his father for coming between he and his lover Mary-Anne."_

"Kiss scene? Revenge?" Tamaki then looked at the stage.

…

"And yet, the love I bear for you, the desire I have for revenge are things that cannot be such forgotten." She looked at them. Tamaki gasped. A spotlight shined down on the males and the girls in the audience gasped.

"Senpai? And Dad?" Haruhi asked in shock. Benio then smirked as she grabbed Haruhi's hand and pulled her towards her.

"Right before his eyes, I'll steal your first kiss."

"Huh?" Haruhi asked.

"All for the sake, of revenge."

The girls in the audience cried and screamed, not wanting Benio to kiss this strange girl they had never seen before.

"NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS, WILL DADDY ALLOW HIS HARUHI, TO BE USED IN SUCH A DESPICABILE WAY!" Tamaki screamed as he ran up the stairs and onto the stage. A monkey randomly appeared and chucked a banana peel on the floor. He didn't see this and tripped over it.

"Victory is mine you poor, incompetent buffoon." The stage underneath the two rose and Tamaki was left on the ground. "Now behold while we embrace!"

"Haruhi," he said in disappointment.

"My love," Benio said as she pulled Haruhi closer.

"You're crazy lady," Haruhi said.

…

"Yes, please forward that photo to me immediately," Kyoya said as he typed on the computer. The photo was sent to him and he smirked as he ordered for the screen to appear.

…

Rin rushed onto the stage. "What the hell?" she asked. She noticed how the audience was in shock. She saw that Benio was trying to force Haruhi to kiss her.

"Stop it! Get off me!" Haruhi screamed as she struggled.

…

Kyoya smirked as he pressed the space bar and the picture appeared. It was a picture of Haruhi and Kanako kissing.

…

Haruhi screamed out while Benio was in despair. "Oh no!"

"That picture is…from the…dance party," Tamaki stuttered.

"So, as you can see-" Hikaru started.

"Haruhi's already had her first kiss," Kaoru finished.

"SO IS THAT WHAT GOES ON IN THAT DESPICABLE HOST CLUB?!" Ranka screamed as he ran onto the stage.

"Hearing that from her transvestite father-" Hikaru said.

"Seems kind of ironic," Kaoru said.

"YOU'RE GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS PHOTO TO ME THIS INSTANT YOUNG LADY!" Two more monkeys appeared and they chucked three banana peels on the ground. The twins and Ranka went flying and landed on top of Tamaki.

"Maiden, you mean to tell me," Benio screamed as she charged for Haruhi. Haruhi dodged but stopped as she reached the end of the giant pillar.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called as he stood up. "Jump down. I'll catch you!" Haruhi took a second to breathe before she jumped.

"NO!" Benio screamed.

"Haruhi~!" Tamaki screamed with stars of delight in his eyes. This seemed like a scene out of a romance movie. But, it ended quickly. Haruhi landed on him and squashed him.

"I'm sorry senpai," Haruhi said. Rin rushed over and helped Haruhi to her feet. Goodness knows if Haruhi could run in heels or not.

"Haruhi…how could you do this to your ADORING FATHER?!" Ranka screamed. Haruhi grabbed onto Rin's hand to keep her steady as she ran. They ran towards the right but were blocked off.

"Not so fast Mary-Anne," Chizuru and Hinako said. They each grabbed onto Rin's arms and she screamed.

"God damn it all!" Rin cursed. Tamaki slowly stood up.

"Must. Protect. My. Haruhi." He was then crushed as Benio jumped and landed on his face.

"Don't let either of them go!" she screamed. "This is not over yet! I don't care how many kisses either of them have had! The next ones will be mine!" Benio charged towards them.

Chizuru and Hinako let go of Rin but grabbed onto Haruhi. Benio grabbed Rin by her shoulders. "Young maiden, your lips have been tainted by an idiotic boy. Let me reverse that for you." She leaned closer.

"Get the hell of me!" Rin screamed as she tried shoving Benio off her. Hikaru stood up as he rushed forward and pulled Benio off of her.

"What is the meaning of this?" Benio asked. "You!" She pointed at Hikaru as he held onto Rin.

"Don't even dare touch my girlfriend!"

"How dare you treat her like your property? You see," she turned to the audience, "This is why men are disgusting pigs!"

"What are a harsh thing to say Lady Benibara? You may think he's treating me like property, but he's not. If he was, I would not do this." She then turned his head towards her. "Are you ready for a show Benibara?" She smirked as she turned to face him. He caught on as she grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him towards her.

Benio screamed as they kissed. Some of the girls gasped but others awed at how cute they thought they were. Chizuru and Hinako gasped as they let of Haruhi.

Haruhi then proceeded to run. Benio, being distracted, turned her attention back to Haruhi and chased after her, as did Ranka, Chizuru and Hinako.

Kaoru poked the dead Tamaki with a stick, while Rin and Hikaru just stood in each other's embrace.

"Get her!" the three girls screamed. Haruhi stumbled quite a bit from the high heels.

"Aww, all I wanted to do was go shopping today," Haruhi said as she groaned. Then the monkey smirked as he chucked five banana peels onto the ground. Each of them screamed as they tripped over and landed on the ground. Kaoru, Hikaru and Rin laughed as the audience gasped in shock.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Let me recover from my insane fits of laughter. I thought I was going to die from how much my stomach hurt. My favourite part of this episode is when they're screaming about Haruhi's makeup on stage.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – The Wizard of Ouran!**

The young girl gasped as she opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. She sat up, lifting her head off the uncomfortable pillow. She looked around the room, noticing that everything around her with was either damaged, smashed or destroyed.

"What the hell happened here?" she muttered to herself. She looked down and gasped. "What am I wearing?"

She had a blue and white plaid dress, white socks, black buckled shoes and small blue bows, tying her hair in pigtails.

"Renge-chan!" She heard a young male voice call out.

"Who was that? And how did they know my name?"

"I'm over here," the voice called out again. She looked around the room, trying to find the voice. She shrieked once she saw a head pop out from underneath a blanket.

"Calm down Renge-chan, it's only me." She walked over to the small head and squatted down. She then saw that it was actually a small blonde dog with big brown eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked. The dog whimpered.

"You don't remember me? I'm your dog!"

"…Hani?" she asked and the dog barked.

"Yes! You remember me!"

"What happened? Where are we? Weren't we just in the club room with the hosts?"

"Hosts? What are they?" Renge gasped. What was happening?

"Don't you remember? We were sucked in a tornado. There was a storm and then we landed here."

"This is too weird. And from the things I've read, that says a lot."

"Um, Renge-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you…help me?"

"Help you? With what?"

"I'm stuck," Hani said as he tried to move. He began whimpering.

Renge rolled her eyes. She wasn't moved by this cutesy act. She lifted the blanket and noticed his tail stuck underneath a fallen bench. She quickly lifted the bench long enough for the small dog to run out and jump around. She suddenly dropped it, causing a loud bang which hurt Hani's small ears. "Thank you Renge-chan!"

"Uh, no problem," she said as she saw something on the ground.

She picked it up and noticed it was a brown woven basket with a pink bow attached to the handle. Hani then jumped into the basket and she gasped, her hand on her hip. "What do you think you're doing?"

"My legs hurt Renge-chan. I can't walk."

"You're just being lazy," she mumbled as she sighed. She looked at the door, wondering if she should leave.

"Hey Renge-chan! Why don't we go ask someone for help?"

Renge sighed. He was right. She walked to the door.

"We might as well, I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

She opened the door and she gasped. There was a bright light as red rose petals flew through the air. She shielded her eyes.

Once the light had faded, she saw a beautiful and colourful garden around her. There was a water fountain in the middle, a beautiful pond surrounding it. There were bushes with various different types of flowers and the trees were covered with cherry blossom petals. It was…breathtaking.

"What is this place?" she mumbled to herself as she stepped onto the concrete path. She then noticed something strange. A pink tiled path which lead all around the garden and out into a path.

There were a lot of people dancing on it. They were graceful in every step they took as the males twirled their female partners.

"Hello young lady, welcome to the Ouran Garden." She turned around and noticed a girl with short brown hair and big brown eyes standing in front of her. She had on a pink frilly dress, a tiara with white high heels and a wand.

"The Ouran Garden?"

"Yes, this garden is a place of peace and respect." Renge nodded. "So, are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

"Excuse me? That was out of the blue."

"Yes I know, but I have to ask. It's mandatory."

"Wait, did you call me a witch?" Renge's temper blew.

"It was merely a question young lady. The Wizard has ordered us to ask that to everyone that comes here. And anyway, judging by your reaction, I'm guessing you're not even a witch at all."

"How could you even think that?!"

"I didn't. It was just a precaution." Renge rolled her eyes, annoyed at this conversation. "I heard that your house landed here from a freak storm."

"Yeah," Renge said as she turned around.

"It seems you've crushed the Wicked Witch of the East."

"The Wicked Witch of the East?" She then gasped as she saw feet underneath her 'house'. On those feet where ruby red shoes with a pair of black and white stripped socks. "OH MY GOD! I'M A MURDER!"

"What have we done Renge-chan?" Hani cried.

"I CAN'T BELIVE I DID SUCH A TERRIBLE THING!"

"Renge, are you done overreacting?" the girl asked. Renge took deep breaths, calming herself down before nodding. "So, any more questions?" the girl asked.

"Just one. I believe that I was hanging out with my friends earlier, also known as the Host Club. Have you've seen them?"

"No. I have never heard of such a thing as a Host Club."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I am in charge of certain sections of Ouran. I would know if there was a thing called a 'Host Club'."

"Oh."

"But I will tell you this, the people of this garden are very pleased with your work, even if it was unintentional. She was terrorizing these poor people and once they confirmed she was dead, they came out to celebrate. They would like to thank you."

"Thank you, Renge Hoshakuji~!" they all chanted.

"Wait! I mean, I love being thanked and all, but I really need to find my friends, wherever they are."

"Of course, we will find them. They're not in the Garden though, nor are they in that house."

"Guess we're travelling for a while Renge-chan," Hani said.

"Great. Just what I needed."

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion and Hani whimpered. The people of the Garden screamed and shrieked as they ran away in fear, tumbling and running over each other. Some went to hid in the bushes, others climbed the trees. Either way, they were safe.

As soon as the smoke faded away, there was a girl standing there. The girl had long blonde hair, tied into a low plait with brown eyes and long eyelashes. She had a long black dress, a black cape, black high heels and a black pointed hat.

"Uh oh," the girl said.

"Who is that?" Renge said blushing. This new girl was gorgeous.

"The Wicked Witch of the West." Renge gasped, making sure she heard right. The Witch stepped forward, walking towards the house, staring at the feet underneath. She bent down slowly and just stared.

"How tragic. This darling girl has been taken from her life. And what a terrible way to go. Being squashed by a house." She then stood up and walked over to Renge. "Was it you?" Renge looked around before she realised she was asking her.

"It was an accident. I swear it!"

"Rinaba, do not pressure this young girl."

"Oh, Harulinda, how nice to see you once again," the Witch said.

"You two know each other?" Renge asked.

"Of course, we're both witches," Harulinda said.

"How could our paths not have crossed?" Rinaba said. Renge nodded, still a little shocked that the girl was a Witch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting what I came here for." She turned around and walked over to the house again, bending down towards the feet.

Without anyone noticing, Harulinda waved her wand and the ruby red shoes disappeared.

"What the…Where did they go?" Rinaba asked angrily.

"It seems like the shoes have picked their new owner."

Renge looked down at her feet and gasped. Her shoes had been replaced with the now ruby red shoes.

"Wow! Shiny!" Hani said as he stared in awe at the shoes.

"I know what you did, you used your wand," Rinaba said.

"I did no such thing," Harulinda said with a fake smile.

"Darling, if you would be so kind as to remove those shoes and give them to me, I won't hurt you and I'll be on my way."

Renge bent down to undo them but a wand stopped her.

"I'm sorry Rinaba, but I can't let you take those shoes."

"And why not?"

"You can't be trusted with that kind of power."

"Is this all because I stuffed up that one time-"

"It almost cost people's lives. I'm not risking that again."

"Fine, but I will get those shoes, no matter what." She then cast a spell and white smoke appeared. Renge coughed but then gasped as Harulinda sighed.

Once the smoke faded, she was gone. The people of the garden were hesitant before they moved out of their hiding spots, waiting for Harulinda's approval.

"What the hell just happened?!" Renge asked.

"That was Rinaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. She's a bit, childish, if I say so. But anyway, those shoes aren't coming off. Not unless you really want them off. But anyway, you need to go see the Wizard of Ouran."

"The Wizard of Ouran?"

"The Wizard of Ouran," Harulinda confirmed.

"Where would we find this Wizard?" Hani asked.

"The Wizard is located in Ouran Academy."

"And how do I get there?" Renge asked.

"All you need to do, is follow the pink tile road. If you do, it will lead you to Ouran Academy. He will be able to send you home." She smiled as she pointed to the path. The people of the garden nodded, agreeing with her.

"So all I have to do is follow the pink tile road?"

"Correct. Well, I must be off now. Follow the pink tile road."

Renge gasped as Harulinda waved her wand and disappeared in a pile of sparkles and red roses. Hani stared in awe.

"That was amazing~!" Renge looked at him weirdly.

"Follow the pink tile road," Kasanoda said.

"Okay, I got it."

"Follow the pink tile road," Chika said.

"Yep, already knew that."

"Follow the pink tile road," Kazukiyo said.

"I really don't need you to-"

"Follow~!"

"Follow~!"

"Follow~!"

"Follow~!"

"Follow the pink tile road~!"

"SHUT UP!" Renge screamed and they all went silent. "Thank you," she said as she walked down the pink tile road.

"That wasn't necessary Renge-chan."

"Yes it was."

"But I don't think-"

"YES IT WAS!"

…

How long had they been walking? How long did this pink tile road last? How much longer would she have to go without any attractive boys? Those were the questions in her mind.

"So, what do we do now?" Hani asked as he sighed, bored out of his mind. Renge sighed, looking around her.

"Not sure, this is getting ridiculous."

"Oh look! I found some cake in here!" Hani said, pulling out a giant piece of cake. Renge looked down at him.

"What the hell?" Soon as she said that, the cake was gone. She ignored it, knowing it wasn't going to get her anywhere. She then stopped. There was a split in the road.

"You know what would be nice?" she asked him.

"What?" Hani asked, looking for more cake.

"A FREAKING MAP!"

"Which path do we go down Renge-chan?" Hani asked.

"_They say that west is best."_

"What was that?" Renge asked, flinching.

"Wasn't me," Hani said innocently.

"_But they also say, east, at least."_

"I am defiantly not hearing things. Who is that?!"

"Wait was that scarecrow always pointing that way?" Hani asked.

Renge turned around and saw a scarecrow, pinned up onto a wooden post. Its right arm was loosely pointing to the right.

"You're imagining things Hani."

It had a blue torn shirt, brown torn pants, black shoes and a hat.

"_Or was it, east is least?"_

"Scarecrows don't move. Someone is playing a joke on us."

"_Either way, it sounds like west is better."_

Renge gasped. The scarecrow was pointing to the left!

"That. Is. Not. Possible!" Renge screamed.

"See Renge-chan, I wasn't lying," Hani said. Renge glared.

"Stop messing with me!" she yelled. She stomped over to the scarecrow, standing in front of it with her hands on her hips. "I know it's you," she said glaring.

She noticed the scarecrow made a cute smile and laughed. He then nodded as best as he could while still being tied up.

"I'm not messing with you," the scarecrow said.

"Then what are you, stupid?" she asked annoyed.

"I wouldn't say stupid. Simply more, confused." His left arm slowly moved up to his head and pointed to it. "I don't have a brain."

"Figures," Renge mumbled.

"Even though I may not have a brain, you're the one lost on the pink tile road, which only goes one way."

"Maybe if you had a brain, you would see that it splits in two."

"From here, it looks like they join back together."

"Oh, of course. The only person who could look stupid in front of a brainless, talking scarecrow, would be me," she mumbled.

"Renge-chan! Renge-chan!" Hani cried.

"What do you want now?" Renge asked.

"We have to get him down from that pole!"

"And why the hell would I want to do that?"

"Please, pretty please," Hani said, pouting with his puppy dog eyes. Renge groaned, putting the basket down.

"Ugh! Fine!" She reached up and started untying the ropes attaching the scarecrow to the pole. She reached for the last rope before an evil idea passed through her mind. Instead of gently untying it, like she did with the others, she ripped it off. The scarecrow yelled out as he fell to the ground.

"Oops. My hand slipped," she said with an evil smirk. He glared as he dusted off his hat. She noticed that he had violet eyes and blonde dirty strands of hair. He placed it back on his head.

"Hey Renge-chan! I have an idea! What if he came with us?"

"Where are you going?" the scarecrow asked.

"We're going to see the Wizard~!"

"Why would I go see the Wizard?"

"Well, if he can send Renge-chan and I home, then he can give you a brain!" Renge groaned. She hated today, so much.

"That's a great idea, let's go!" Hani jumped in the bag, waiting for Renge to pick it up. She did as the scarecrow skipped down the pink tile road, Renge trudging slowly behind.

…

"Guys! Look!" Hani yelled as out as he pointed.

"What is it now?" Renge asked, her hands on her hips.

"It looks like some kind of person!" Both she and the scarecrow gasped. They saw a man made completely out of tin. He was standing there, not moving with an axe in his hand.

"Why is he out here to rust?" Renge asked.

"I'm not sure," the scarecrow replied.

"It seems like something the scarecrow would do."

"I may not have a brain, but that was very rude."

"_Oi…an."_

"What did you say?" Renge asked.

"What? I didn't say anything," the scarecrow said, shrugging.

"_Th…oi…an."_

"I think it's trying to say something to us," Hani said.

"_I…ne…th…oi…an."_

"I think it's saying, oil can?" Hani asked, unsure.

"Oil can? What oil can?" the scarecrow asked. Renge shrugged.

"Look! I found it," Hani said, carrying an oil can in his mouth. Renge bent down and took it off him gently. She walked over to the tin man and poured an eighth of it onto the tinman's face.  
The tinman's mouth began to slowly move. His grey eyes opened.

"…Thank…you," he said.

"Let's pour the rest of this on him," Renge said. She then poured mostly the rest of the oil on him. Luckily, it entered all of the nooks and crannies and he somehow be became un-rusted.

"So, why were you standing like that?"

"…Years ago…I was chopping down a tree," the tinman said. Every now and then he slowly moved a body part, trying to get used to them again. "…It started to rain…and I got rusted."

Hani then ran over to the tinman and jumped into his arms.

"Hey! Listen~!" Hani said as he banged onto his chest. It made an empty banging sound and Hani laughed.

"Hani, stop that! You're gonna give him a heart attack."

"…I don't have a heart," the tinman said.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know that."

"Hey! I've got an idea! Why don't you come with us to see the Wizard?" Hani asked and yet again, Renge groaned.

"…What for…?"

"Well, if he can send Renge-chan and I home and give the scarecrow a brain, then he can give you a heart!"

"Well, what do you say?" the scarecrow asked.

"…Okay…" he said nodding.

"Let's hurry up and get this over with," Renge said groaning.

…

"Well, isn't this a fantastic sight to see."

The four gasped as they looked up. Hani jumped onto the tinman's shoulders, hiding behind him. Renge literally jumped and the scarecrow ran to hide behind her.

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad." It was of course, the evil Rinaba.

She was standing on top of a cottage. She had her broomstick by her side, leaning against it for support.

"W-What are you doing here?" Hani asked, trying to be brave.

"To put it bluntly, I'm getting bored," she said. "Even though you can't take those shoes off, I'm gonna get them either way."

"Can't you just buy another pair of shoes?" the scarecrow asked.

"I could, but it wouldn't be the same."

"Well, that seems pointless," Renge said. Rinaba then smirked.

"Oh well, you're gonna have to get used to it. Oh, and before I go, I'll leave you with a little present." She then lifted her right hand as a swirl of a blue-green colour started to appear. Very quickly, her hand was forming a ball of water. The four gasped.

"Have fun!" she said before chucking the ball of water at the scarecrow. He screamed out in shock as he became soaked.

All they could hear was Rinaba laughing before she got onto her broomstick. She then made a spell which formed white smoke. As soon as the white smoke faded, one again, she was gone.

"Well that was rude," the scarecrow said.

…

Once the scarecrow had dried off, they quickly continued walking along the pink tile road. Quite rapidly, the area around them seemed to change.

It was now a tropical rain forest. There were giant trees around them, green vines, small animals and mushrooms. The scarecrow was tempted to pick one.

"So uh, where are we now Renge-chan?" Hani asked. He looked around before he stopped and made a high pitched scream.

"AHH!" The other three turned around and saw a small path of darkness in the plants, a pair of glowing red eyes lurking from it.

The creature let out a growl, making the four tremble. Hani jumped into the tinman's arms and the tinman held him close.

"Ah! It's MOE~!" Renge said as she squealed, blushing.

"Now is not the time!" the scarecrow screamed, shaking her. Quickly though, Renge returned to her sense and then bent down slowly. She then picked up a rock and chucked it, hitting the creature in the forehead. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" The scarecrow grabbed onto Renge's arm as the four ran out of the forest.

"Why the hell did you chuck a stone at him?" the scarecrow asked. Renge put her hands on her hips, glaring.

"Would you rather it have eaten us?"

"Guys, what do we do now?" Hani asked. The tinman shrugged. Renge then felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around.

"AHHH! HE'S GONNA EAT ME!" Renge screamed.

"STAY BACK!" the scarecrow screamed.

"Please don't be like that." They stopped screaming.

"…Huh?"

"I'm sorry. I guess hiding in those bushes wasn't the best idea," the creature said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Turns out, the creature was a lion with gorgeous blonde fur. Renge blushed. The lion's face was beautiful with brown sparkling eyes.

"B-But why did you growl at us?" Renge stuttered.

"Oh, sorry. I'm a lion. It's a natural thing."

"Oh, t-that does make sense."

"But what are you doing here?" Hani asked, lifting his head up.

"You uh, dropped your basket," the lion said, holding the wooden woven basket in his hands. She blushed.

"Oh, thank you," she muttered.

"Hey! I've got an idea! Why don't you come with us to see the Wizard?" Hani asked. Renge then smacked him on the head.

"Can you please…Stop. Repeating. Yourself?" Renge asked.

"Owwwww," Hani wined. The tinman glared at her.

"But why would I see the Wizard?" the lion asked.

"Well, you seem nervous. Tell me, are you confident around people? Are you confident in general?" Renge asked.

"N-Not necessarily. I've never been good at being brave."

"Well, if he can send Renge-chan and I home, give the scarecrow a brain, give the tinman a heart, than he can give you come courage!" Hani said as he perked back up again.

"…Yeah…" the tinman said.

"So, are you coming with us or what?" Renge asked.

"Oh yes, please come with us," the scarecrow said.

The lion hesitated before sighed. "Okay, why not."

…

"Oh dear, looks like another has joined their team," Rinaba said as she sat down at her throne, surrounded by yellow roses with red tips. She was watching them through a red crystal ball.

"What's happened now Rinaba?" two voiced asked her. She saw the two auburn haired twins now in front of her.

"Hmm, they've recruited another poor victim, being bribed with a false prize. When will those poor kids ever learn?"

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"Let me ask you this. What do you do when a garden becomes infected by weeds and/or insects?" She stood up.

"Pull out the weeds?" the one on the right asked.

"Kill them with bug spray?" the one on the left asked.

"You do both. You want to get rid of the bugs and weeds, but keep the flowers, correct?" The twins looked at each other.

She groaned. They had no idea what she was talking about. "You want to get rid of those annoying pests but keep the valuable unharmed." They finally understood and nodded.

"So, what we need to do is get her away from them. With them there, they're going to defend and protect her. If she's by herself, I might be able to get those shoes off her feet. If you two would be so kind as to tell the army about the upcoming event, that would be good," she said with a cute smile on her face. They nodded and left the room.

She smirked as she sat back down on her throne, sighing. "I can't wait to see those sparkling shoes on my feet. Who knows, maybe I'll start to like the colour red~!"

…

The five were now bored, still walking down the pink tile road. Hani was restless as he kept moving around in the tinman's arms. The tinman sighed, trying to keep him still.

"…I spy, with my little eye," Hani started.

"Hani? Now is not the time for this!" Renge said annoyed.

"Something gorgeous," the scarecrow finished. Hani smiled.

"I am not in the mood for this stupid commoner game."

"Is it…her shoes?" the tinman asked. They shook their heads.

"Is it me?" Renge asked, smirking. They shook their heads. "What the hell is it then?"

"Ouran Academy~!" Hani and the scarecrow announced together.

They ran forward and saw the glorious school in view. It looked breathtaking. Even though it was strangely pink. All they had to do to get there was cross a field of yellow roses with red tips.

"Oh, I haven't seen these before," Renge said as she bent down to look at them, getting distracted.

"They are very pretty," Hani said as he ran over. Renge smiled as she picked up one and smelled it. A puff of yellow and red smoke came out and she started coughing. The others turned around.

"Renge-chan? Are you alright?"

"Is she okay?" the lion asked.

"…Let's check," the tinman said as the three rushed over. She had finished her coughing fit but fell to the ground, sleeping.

Luckily, the bed of flowers softened her landing.

"Renge-chan! Renge-chan!" Hani said as he checked to see if she was alive. The smoke went inside his lungs and he started coughing. Soon enough, he fell to the ground asleep.

"T-This is not good," the lion said before doing the same thing.

The scarecrow looked at the tinman in shock.

"Why aren't we affected?" he asked.

"…We don't have noses," the tinman responded.

"Oh. So uh, what do we do now?"

"…We wait…"

…

They sat there for a few minutes, wondering if their friends would ever wake up. They then noticed red sparkles and red roses flying towards them. They stood up and saw Harulinda. She stumbled a bit as she landed on her high heels.

"Sorry, still haven't gotten used to these yet," she said. She turned around and noticed the three sleeping members. "So it seems I heard the predicament right. This little trick must have been done by the Wicked Witch of the West?"

"But how can you tell?" the scarecrow asked.

"Those roses. Those are her signature symbol."

"Is there anything you can do to help them?"

"Of course I can. There is always a spell. Just give me a sec." She turned around as she waved her wand around. Red sparkles came out and they travelled over to the sleeping three. The sparkles landed on their heads and they instantly woke up.

Harulinda shushed the two as she quickly made herself disappear into the red sparkles and red roses.

"What happened?" Renge asked drowsily. The others shrugged.

…

Finally, the five arrived at the entrance gates of Ouran Academy. The pink tile road stopped here, so they knew they were at the right place. They looked around, wondering where everyone was.

"Is there some kind of gatekeeper of something?" Renge asked.

"_Why yes, there is~"_

The five flinched at the weird and creepy voice. They turned around and saw a cloaked figure with a yellow cat puppet.

"Uh, hello there," Renge said nervously.

"_May I please see some identification~?"_

"Identification?" the scarecrow asked.

"_Unless you do not leave here~"_

"…No, we don't…" the tinman said.

"_Then do you have an appointment with the Wizard~?"_

"Are we supposed to have an appointment?" Hani whispered.

"Uh no," Renge said to the gate keeper.

"_Sorry, but I cannot allow you in then~"_

"Wait! Harulinda sent us here!" The figure then smirked.

"_Why didn't you say so earlier? Come on in~"_

The five gasped as the gates of the Academy opened and they gazed at the gorgeous school in front of them.

"So pretty! What should we do first?" Renge asked.

"Aren't we supposed to go see the Wizard?" the scarecrow asked.

"Yeah, but first we need to go explore and get makeovers~!"

…

After about 30 minutes of Renge forcing the four males to go through torturous makeovers done by girls in yellow poufy dresses and shopping at still stalls, they finally arrived somewhat close to the actual building. "W-What is that?" the lion asked.

The other four looked up at the sky. There was a figure all in black, flying through the sky on a broomstick.

"God dammit, it's Rinaba!" Renge screamed out. There were now shapes in the sky in the form of red puffy letters.

**S-U-R-R-E-N-D-E-R R-E-N-G-E O-R D-I-E!**

The people surrounding them broke into a panic as they screamed, ran, trampling others on the way.

"Who is Renge?"

"Why surrender?"

"It must be the Wicked Witch!"

"The Wizard will know what to do!"

"Quickly, we need to get inside!" Renge screamed as she grabbed her friends and ran. They ran past all the screaming people and quickly burst through the giant doors and ran inside. They ran down the hallway, trying to find an abandoned room. Renge stopped when she saw a sign hanging near a door. It read: 'Music Room #3'.

"Quickly, in here," she called as she opened the doors. The room was dark as the five rushed in, slamming the doors behind them. It suddenly went quiet as the noise died down from outside. A spotlight then shined down in the middle of the room, showing a large computer screen which was turned off.

Suddenly, the sound of a sharp piano filled the room and they gasped. The room started filling up with purple smoke. The computer screen was now covered with purple roses as the scent of them flew towards them. Renge blushed. It was breathtaking.

"Who has come and disturbed the Wizard?" a sly voice asked.

"I-I am Renge Houshakuji. I-I was sent here by Harulinda."

"But of course, I was well aware of this a while ago," the voice said. They could all tell that the person behind the voice had an evil smirk on his face. He stepped out from behind the computer screen walked in front of them. It was an attractive young man with black hair, a black suit, top hat and glasses. He smirked as he closed his little black book. "Welcome Renge, and others."

"So, can you help us or not?" Renge asked.

"Of course I can help. What do you request?"

"…A heart…" the tinman said.

"I would like some courage around girls," the lion said.

"I wish, for a brain," the scarecrow said. The Wizard smirked

"Our wish is to go back to the Host Club," Renge said. Hani nodded. The Wizard seemed to write something down.

"Interesting. If you want those wishes to be granted, you'll have to do a favour for me. You'll have to bring me the broomstick of Rinaba, the Wicked Witch of the West."

The others looked at each other, wondering what was worse. Suicide or Losing?

"Can't she kill us with the flick of her finger?" the lion asked.

"Sorry, no broomstick, no wishes." Renge sighed.

"Alright. We'll do it. But if we die, it's your fault!"

"That is not my problem," the Wizard said as he walked away.

…

"This place gives me the creeps," the scarecrow said as they walked down a weird forest. They were headed towards her castle, also known as the Maliana's Middle-school.

"But the school looks more pretty," Hani said.

"Looks can be deceiving," Renge said.

_SCREECH!_

"W-What was that noise?" the lion asked. They then heard the sound of a branch snapping and it landed on the ground in front of them. The lion looked around as he shivered.

…

"Geez, this is no fun. They're too easily scared," Rinaba said as she shook her head.

"So, what's the plan now?" the red haired twins asked.

"We call the others. It's time for the attack. There's no need to hurt any of them. Just bring the one with the red shoes to me, please. If you do, I'll give you a reward."

"What kind of reward?" they asked with a smirk.

"I guess you'll have to find out later." They looked at each other before nodding as they walked out the room. "Ah, how fun."

…

"W-What was that?" the lion stuttered.

"I don't know. And I don't want to know," the scarecrow said. The noises and screams were getting louder.

They all turned around and saw about a hundred monkeys holding banana peels, running towards them. They all screamed.

"RUN!" Renge screamed as Hani jumped in her basket and they all started running. The monkeys were fast. One chucked a banana peel and Renge slipped on it. "God dammit!"

One of them grabbed Renge by her dress and lifted her off the ground. "AHHH! HELP ME!" she screamed.

Hani tried his best to bite down on the monkey but he was smacked away. Luckily, he landed in the tinman's arms.

The monkey ran away with her as the other's tried to help her, but they couldn't get her in time.

…

"Finally. You're awake," Rinaba said as she looked down at Renge, who lied down the floor. She opened her eyes as she lifted her head. She was on a cold concrete floor, yellow roses with red tips surrounding a giant throne in the middle of the room.

"Where am I?" she asked drowsily.

"You don't remember? Welcome to my old Middle-school from back when I was in France. You seemed to be coming to me anyway, so I thought I'd speed things up."

"What am I doing here?"

"How the hell should I know? You were the one coming here."

"Oh…that's right. I want your broomstick."

"And why on earth would you want this disgusting old thing?" She grabbed her broomstick from leaning against the wall.

"The Wizard wanted it, in return to grant our wishes."

"And you actually believe that crap? Do you think once he gets power, that he'll really grant your wishes?"

"What are you saying? Of course he will."

"Trust me, appearances are deceiving. Just like what you said about me, or what you hinted at, at least."

"And why the hell should I listen to anything you say?"

"Defensive much. You've fallen for him, haven't you?"

"W-What does that have to do with anything?!" Rinaba sighed.

"Poor little girl. So naïve. I was once that like too."

"You were in love with the Wizard?" Renge asked in disbelief.

"Once. Back in the days. At first, he treated me with care. But once he got what he wanted, he tricked me and left on his stupid private jet. He took my money and ran. But besides, that, I'll compromise with you. If you give me those shoes, I can send you home right now. I could send you to that little Host Club that you love so much. What do you say?"

Renge just stared. Why was the Wicked Witch of the West compromising with her? Why would she send her home? Just for a pair of shoes? "I'll…have to think about it."

"But of course. Boys, bring it in." Renge saw the doors open and in walked two attractive red haired twins, holding a giant hour glass. They placed it on the floor and stood beside her. She smirked as she pulled out her wand and waved it.

In an instant, Renge was inside the hour glass. "I'll give you about an hour to decide." The three then walked out the door.

…

"How are we going to get past those guards?" the scarecrow asked. They were crouched outside of the school, watching the guards stand there, not moving.

"How about we take them out?" Hani asked.

"Are you crazy?" the lion asked.

"Well, tinman could take them out and us three could work together as a team to take out the other one," the scarecrow said.

"Come on men, let's do this!" The four quietly sneaked over to the edge of the school, behind the wall. The four counted to each other before they all jumped out and took out the guards.

"I didn't think it would that easy," Hani said.

"Oh well, look, there's two more coming this way." They took them out as well and they were even easier than the others.

"Quickly, we need to take their uniforms," Hani said.

"Why?" the scarecrow asked.

"So they'll believe we're one of them," the tinman said.

"Oh, I get it now!" The four quickly put on the uniforms, luckily they all fit, and quietly snuck around the school.

…

Renge was staring to give up hope when the door burst open. There stood her four new favourite people.

"Oh thank god you guys are here," she whispered.

"Are you alright Renge-chan?" Hani asked as they ran over.

"I'm fine. Quickly, get something to smash this with!"

"What the hell could break that?!" the scarecrow panicked. The tinman then got an idea. He walked backwards, and then sprinted towards the hour glass. He smacked right into the glass and it shattered all around them. Renge fell out and landed safely in his arms. He set her down and Hani gasped.

"That was amazing!" he said as he hugged the tinman.

"Already leaving huh? And your friends came in to rescue you? How cute," Rinaba said sarcastically as she smirked. She stood right in front of them and they screamed. She started laughing as she disappeared. They five looked at each other before running again. They went into a room and shut the door behind them.

"Are you guys really that stupid?" They turned around and saw her sitting at her throne. "Did you forget that I'm a witch?" She smirked as she waved her hand and locked the door behind them. "So Renge, what's your answer?"

Renge looked at her feet where her shoes were.

"I, uh, I don't know." Rinaba sighed.

"I told you that you needed to give me an answer. You need to decide. Pick one or the other." The red haired twins walked into the room and stood beside her with a smirk.

"I…won't give you these shoes!"

"Oh, young love. What stupid decisions it causes. Fine then, I guess I'll take the shoes off you by force."

Rinaba waved her fingers around and started fire in her hands. The twins smirked as the five gulped and screamed as Rin shot fire at the five. The scarecrow was hit once again and was set aflame. Renge gasped as she looked around for some water. Luckily, there was a bucket in the corner of the room. She ran towards it, dodging the fire that Rinaba was shooting at her. She ran back and chucked it at the scarecrow, half of it landing on him, the other half landing on Rinaba. She screamed out in pain.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!? IT HURTS!? AHH!" She melted and all that remained of her was her broomstick, her hat and her cloak.

Her two faithful servants watched in shock. The one on the right turned around quickly and charged at them.

"Oh crap!" Renge cursed as she ran towards the broomstick and ran towards the window. "Quickly, jump out!" The five jumped out the window, the twins hot on their tail.

"Get them!" one of them shouted.

"Don't let them get away!" the other shouted. A bunch of monkeys appeared from inside the trees and started running for them. They ran through the forest and back onto the pink tile road. During the chase, the monkies ran off in a different direction, losing them.

"…We did it?" Hani asked confused.

"We've got the broomstick," Renge said breathless.

"Quickly, let's get back to Ouran Academy!"

…

"Dearest Wizard~! We have returned~!" Renge sung as she skipped into the room, the broomstick in her hand. The others followed behind, not as excited as she was.

"I see you have required the broomstick," the Wizard said.

"Yes we have!" Hani said, jumping on the tinman's back.

"I'm guessing you want your reward now?"

"Of course, why else would I go over there?" The Wizard nodded as he adjusted his glasses, smirking as Renge blushed.

"So scarecrow, you said you wished for a brain, am I correct?"

The scarecrow nodded, his arms crossed over his chest.

"That's correct."

"Hmmm, what you need is a diploma." He handed a white piece of paper to him which was tied with a red ribbon.

"What does this mean?"

"It means you have a brain because you're smart enough to get a diploma, which needs a lot of academic achievements."

He walked over and stood in front of the emotionless tinman.

"Now tinman, you said you wanted a heart?" The tinman nodded, making a grunting noise as a yes. "Well, what you deserve, is a testimonial." He handed the tinman a clock which was shaped like a heart, which ticked.

"And you need some courage, right?" The lion nodded. "You need, a bravery medal." He placed the gold medal around the lion's neck, putting a fake smile onto his lips.

"Now, what did you wish for?"

"All I want is for me and my dog to go back home."

"Well then, come with me." Renge blushed as they linked arms as he lead them all outside. They saw a very large and expensive looking black jet. He separated his arm from hers and walked inside. She tried to step on but he held his hand up.

"Sorry, I've realised something. It would cost more if you and your dog went on this jet as well. Trying to save money here."

"Wait! Take me with you! MY PRINCE CHARMING!" she screamed crying as the jet suddenly took off.

"He's not a prince," the scarecrow said.

"He's not charming either," Hani said.

"Now I'm never going to get home!" Renge cried. She fell to her knees, her hands covering her watery eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way home," Hani said.

"I can't believe it. Rinaba was right. He's a jerk!"

"Wait, what's that?" the lion asked as they all looked up.

Red smoke with sparkles flew through the sky and they saw Harulinda smile as she landed on the ground.

"Turn that frown upside down Renge, there's a way for you to get home." Renge stood up, wiping her eyes.

"E-Excuse me?" she asked, not knowing if she heard right.

"You've always had the power to go back home."

"…Why. Didn't. You. Tell. ME!?" she screamed.

"Because you wouldn't have believed me."

"THAT IS NO FREAKING EXCUSE!"

"So, how does she get home then?" the scarecrow asked.

"Renge, all you have to do is click your heels together three times and say, 'There's no place like home'."

"…That's. All. I. Had. To. Do? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"

"Well I-"

"I don't care! GET HER AWAY FROM ME!"

"Fine, I'll go then. See ya!" Harulinda then floated back into the sky and flew away, Renge groaned in annoyance.

…

"I told you. You should have listened to me." They all turned around and noticed Rinaba standing before them. She was left in only a long black dress with heels.

"B-But, I melted you!" Renge shouted.

"Silly girl. Did you forget that I'm a witch? I just cast a spell that made it seem like I melted. I actually just fell through the floor." The five looked at each other, not knowing what to say. "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to apologise for the way I acted. The shoes meant a lot to me. They were my mother's before that stupid girl stole them from me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. But why wouldn't Harulinda give them to you?"

"Oh, back then I wasn't very good with magic so I accidentally blew up the Ouran Garden."

"Oh," the scarecrow said. He then gasped as he saw two figures standing next to her. "You doppelgangers!"

"What? What did we-" the one on the right asked.

"Do to you?" the one on the left asked.

Rinaba smacked the scarecrow over the head and Renge laughed.

"Leave them alone, would ya?" Rinaba said. The one on the right smirked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, by the way, don't you need to get home?" Renge nodded.

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye." She walked over to the lion.

"You seem alright, you're not as bad as everyone says you are." He smiled and bowed.

She went over towards the tinman. "You seem nice and quiet. Just what I needed." He nodded.

She went over grudgingly towards the scarecrow. "You're…tolerable." He turned white and went into a corner.

She walked over to Rinaba with a smile and hugged her. "I'm sorry for accidentally killing you. If only I had believed you over the Wizard, I would have gotten home earlier."

"I-It's alright," Rinaba said as she patted Renge on the back.

"Come on Hani, we're going home!" Hani nodded.

"Ready Renge-chan?"

"Ready as ever!" She took a deep breath before clicking her heels together, chanting over and over again that there was no place like home. Everything seemed to swirl around her. Suddenly she saw a door in front of her. It opened, a bright light and rose petals coming through it. She sighed with relief.

_Home Sweet Home…_

…

She opened her eyes and looked around. She saw the host club surrounding her, looking at her confused.

"What are you doing Renge?" Tamaki asked.

He had on tattered clothing and bits of straw underneath his hat.

"Are you okay Renge?" Haruhi asked.

She had a poufy pink dress on, a sliver crown and wand.

"…What happened?" Renge asked.

She had on the checkered dress and red sparkling shoes.

"You feel asleep," Hikaru said.

"Right after you changed," Kaoru said.

They both wore white suits with red and yellow ties.

"Do you need the doctor Renge-chan?" Honey-senpai asked.

He wore a cute blonde puppy dog costume.

"I think she's fine," Mori-senpai said.

He wore an outfit which was made out of tin.

"Maybe we'll have to confiscate your video games," Kyoya said.

He wore a black suit with a white undershirt and a top hat.

"Wait, why?" Renge asked as she stood up.

"If our manager is slacking off because she wasted her night playing video games, then would our host club get as much attention as it does now," Kyoya said with a smirk.

Renge hung her head down in shame.

"Calm down Renge," Ren said.

He wore a blonde lion costume.

Renge lifted her head up and saw Rin in front of her.

"Here, have some herbal tea," Rin said as she handed her a cup.

She had a long black dress, a black cape and a black pointed hat.

Renge looked at the girl and smiled. "Thank you," she said and the hosts gasped. "What?"

"You…were nice to me," Rin said.

"That's unusual," Hikaru said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"No kidding," Kaoru said.

"I just realised something. I need to look past the looks and look at the personality behind it. And, I've realised how much of a good person you are."

"…You really must have hit your head."

"But don't get me wrong, I still don't like you."

"There's the Renge we know."

* * *

**Authors Note: **Here it is. The Wizard of Ouran, starring Renge. Didn't think that was gonna happen, did ya?  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 – Until the Day it Becomes a Pumpkin!**

_At the stroke of midnight, the carriage will turn back into a pumpkin. But, this particular spell wasn't cast by a fairy godmother_, Kaoru thought as he tapped the end of his pencil at his mouth.

Haruhi was looking at the front, actually paying attention to what was happening. Rin was writing some things for her many English assignments while Hikaru was staring off into space. The students around them were whispering.

"Alright, next item on the agenda. I move to discuss what the class plans will be for next week," the class representative - Kazukiyo - said.

He had light brown hair, blue eyes and glasses.

"Next week?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah. What's so special about next week?" Rin asked.

"It's Halloween," Hikaru said, resting his arm on her shoulder.

"Oh Haruhi, Rin, you've only been students here at Ouran Academy since highschool right?" the vice-representative, Momoka said. "So you don't know. After we're finished taking our exams for the fall, we're allowed a few days off until the end of October. And, we get to throw costume parties on campus to celebrate!"

She had long brown hair and brown eyes.

"And also, to promote comradery, each class is allowed to use an entire day for a special class event of their choosing."

"Event?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah, they're quite fun actually," Kaoru said.

"What the hell would we do for a whole day?" Rin asked.

"We socialize or watch some old movies. Stuff like that," Hikaru said. A forced then pushed them off their chairs.

"Boring. Boring! BORING!" Renge screamed as she appeared out of nowhere and scared the hell out of them. She landed on the table. "Halloween. The day that sounds the death of summer and the icy wind of winter." She struck another pose. "Halloween. Once the day when ghouls walk the earth and dressed as ghouls, we try to ward them all off."

She then struck another pose as she turned around. "Halloween. A day for wearing costumes and playing tricks on trick-or-treaters with reckless abandon!" She did several more poses.

"Some people don't wait for Halloween to dress up," Hikaru said.

"Some people cosplay year round," Kaoru said.

"I know that's right," Haruhi muttered.

"And we do it too," Rin said.

"So, what's with the uniform?" Haruhi asked. Renge then smirked as she pulled out a remote and pressed rewind.

"Just between us, this is the girls' uniform for Uki Doki Memorial 2 which isn't scheduled until next spring. So, what'd you think?!"

They all thought the same thing. She bribed someone and took some top-secret information.

"I know important people on the inside, if you catch my drift." The four sweat-dropped.

"Miss Hoshakuji, we're having homeroom now. Could you get down off the desk please?" Kazukiyo asked.

"Tea parties and cosplay? The Host Club does that practically non-stop. What our Halloween requires, is something special!"

"Um, we're supposed to decide this as a class."

"So I propose, holding a Halloween 'Test of Courage Tournament!' The bravest student wins!" The class started whispering. Both Rin and Kazukiyo stiffened.

"A test of courage-" Hikaru started.

"Tournament you say?" Kaoru finished. Rin and Kazukiyo looked at each other, knowing by the others reaction, how they both suffered the same problem.

"Here's what we'll do! We'll ask the superintendent to give us access to the school after hours when it's dark. Then we'll all dress up in our freakiest costumes and proceed to have the time of our lives, scaring the absolute crap out of each other!"

"Yeah, we're in," the twins said as they laughed.

"I really like the part about-" Hikaru started.

"It being dark," Kaoru finished.

"Uh oh," Kazukiyo muttered.

"This isn't good," Rin said as they listened to all the students talking about how excited they were for it.

"Now, wait, why don't we think this through everyone," the representative said nervously. "We can't all go indivually. We should be in teams of at least three or four."

"Yeah, exactly what he said," Rin said as she crossed her arms.

"You're right. Teams would be scarier," Momoka said. The two stiffened but no one but them could tell. Kazukiyo felt like his temperature was dropping below freezing.

"And anyone who leaves," Hikaru said.

"Will be featured on the front of the school newspaper as the Captain of all Cowards," Kaoru said. Kazukiyo started sweating.

"Seconded!" pretty much the whole class said.

"Ugh! All right then. Are there any objections to the majority vote?" No one answered. He looked at Haruhi.

"Are there any at all?" He then looked at Rin.

"Is anyone opposed to the idea?" She sighed.

"Come on, anyone?!" Rin looked at Hikaru and then back to the front. He got the idea, but it still sucked.

"Oh very well," he said, slightly depressed. "The motion passes unanimously. The Class 1-A event for this year will be a special Halloween 'Test of Courage Tournament'."

The class cheered. Hikaru had his hand on top of Rin's head as he gave Kazukiyo a thumbs up.

**MUSIC ROOM #3 NOW OPEN**

The room was dark and lit only by a few candles, held by carved pumpkins. The guest placed her tea cup down on the table.  
"Trick-or-Treat girls," Tamaki said as he tried on a Dracula voice.

He was dressed in fangs and a ridiculous black and red cape.

"Give me candy, or else, your blood. Halloween might be a week away officially, but here in the Host Club, we start haunting season early."

"Oh Tamaki, you make such a handsome vampire," a girl said.

"And those fangs look real," another said. He then walked over and held her cheek in his hand.

"May I, nibble your lovely neck for a treat?" he asked as he moved closer to her neck.

"Oh my, you mustn't. You have to play a trick on me instead."

"And indeed I shall," he whispered into her ear.

The other members stood by, watching. They were all dressed in the same outfit. Honey-senpai had a pink bow, Ren had on an orange one while Mori-senpai had a green one.

"Hello!" the twins said as the four first years entered the room.

"Why are you guys late?" Tamaki asked. "Hurry up and get changed."

"Sorry boss, but from now until Halloween-" Hikaru said.

"Count us out," Kaoru said.

"Okay?" they asked in unison.

"HUH!?" Tamaki asked.

"Count you out?" Honey-senpai asked.

"We're on the preparation committee for a special event."

"Our class is sponsoring it," Rin said with annoyance.

"Well, duty calls then," Kyoya said.

"Okay! Good luck without us here for the week!" The four then went to exit the room.

"You have fun!" Honey-senpai said as he waved.

"Hold on!" Tamaki called. "Why is Haruhi going?"

"Well boss, she is in our class ya know?" Hikaru asked.

"The special event, is an after dark 'Test of Courage' Tournament," Kaoru said and Tamaki gasped.

"After…dark?" he asked.

**THE MIDNIGHT THEATRE OF TAMAKI'S MIND: PRESENTS**

The four were walking down a dark hallway. A mummy popped out above them and Rin screamed.

"AH! I'm scared! Hold me Hikaru!" Rin cried as she jumped onto him. Hikaru made an evil smirk. Then Renge popped out.

"AH! I'm scared Kaoru! Hold me! Protect me!" Haruhi screamed.

…

"Haruhi…you're not going to take part in this are you?" Tamaki asked. "FOR DECENCY SAKE, TELL ME YOU WON'T!"

"Calm down senpai, it's just some harmless fun," she said.

"Harmless? She thinks it's…HARMLESS!" He almost fainted.

"Why me?" he asked as he cried. "You won't go. You can't. Daddy doesn't like it," he said as he grabbed on her shoulders.

_This, is the magic spell_, Kaoru thought. _We may just be members of the Host Club, but the boss calls Haruhi and Rin his daughters. And imagines us to be members of his family. _

"Rin, will you be alright?" Ren whispered as he touched her shoulder. She took a deep breath before smiling.

"Yeah. As long as there aren't any loud noises, I'll be perfectly fine." He smiled back, glad that she would be alright.

"Okay. Time to go now," Hikaru said as he grabbed onto both Rin and Haruhi's shoulders, same as Kaoru.

"Boss, Adieu!" they said as they left the room.

"Wait!" Tamaki called. "I could be a valuable essence to the planning committee! Let me come too!"

He then heard the sound of mechanical laughter and he turned around, frightened. The coffin slowly opened and there stood a figure. "Nekozawa-senpai. When did you…?"

"Well now, isn't this interesting," Nekozawa said with a smirk. "What was that? You think it sounds like fun Beelzaneef? You just may be on to something there. If its fear they want, the Black Magic Club will be happy to oblige. After all, what's Halloween without a healthy dose of pure, unadulterated terror?" He laughed again and the coffin slowly closed.

* * *

"So what kind of budget limit should we put on costumes?" Momoka asked. "Once everyone starts shopping, they'll go all out."

"Why don't we follow the commoner's rule of keeping it under three hundred yen?" Hikaru asked.

"That should make things interesting," Kaoru said.

"It would be a good idea to have a doctor handy in case anyone faints, has a heart attack, jumps out a window, or something," Renge said.

_They all seem pretty excited about this,_ Haruhi thought as she stared at the door.

Rin gulped. "Okay, so under three hundred yen, needs a doctor present. Hey, are we gonna have food?" Kaoru asked.

Haruhi and Rin looked at each other as they noticed Kazukiyo waving at them from behind the door. They both stood up as they walked out.

…

"You have Nyctophobia?" Haruhi asked.

"You're afraid of the dark?" Rin asked.

"Yes, and you can add to that 'Horror Film Phobia', 'Scary Ghost Story Phobia', 'Being startled by a loud noise in the other room Phobia' and 'Accidentally seeing trailers for Horror Films Phobia'. And what's with those things? Why do they keep showing us without warning us first? It just doesn't make sense to me. Whatever happened to the civil rights for the fraidy cats out there? Cowards are people too. And what about the other class with their tea parties? IT'S JUST SO UNFAIR!"

"Class Rep, calm down," Haruhi said.

"Oh my, I'm sorry," he said embarrassed.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one who doesn't want to do this," Rin said as she patted him on the shoulder.

"Really? What are you afraid of?"

"Really loud noises. Started when I was younger."

"If you two were opposed to the idea from the start, then why didn't you two just bring it up in the meeting?" Haruhi asked.

"I tried too. But I don't want to look like I'm throwing my weight around up there. So I was counting on your help, TO SAVE ME!"

"Calm down," Rin said.

"I'm sorry."

"How exactly was I supposed to save you?"

"I was desperately trying to give you signs to oppose it while it was still up for vote, but you just didn't seem interested." Haruhi then gasped as she remembered.

…

_"Ugh! All right then. Are there any objections to the majority vote?" No one answered. He looked at Haruhi. _

_"Are there any at all?" He then looked at Rin. _

_"Is anyone opposed to the idea?" She sighed. _

_"Come on, anyone?!"_

_…_

"If just one person objects, then it goes up for discussion," he said as he cried.

"But why didn't you help Rin?"

"I…couldn't." Haruhi knew what she meant.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know."

"Fujioka, Hayashi, you two have to let me on your team. Maybe knowing that someone else is in the same boat as you and your piece of mind will help. AND I CAN REMAIN MORE CALM!"

"Class Rep!" Haruhi and Rin said.

"And one more thing, you can't tell the Hitachiin brothers."

"Is someone a fraidy cat?" the twins asked as they appeared next to them. There was a short moment of silence.

"AHHHHHH!" Kazukiyo as he tried to climb out the window.

"Oh, there you are," Momoka said as she opened the door. "We're about to choose groups. So, do you have any idea on who you'd like to have on your team?"

"Yeah! The five of us will be one!" the twins said as the grabbed the three and pulled them close.

"Great. So you guys are Team B. Alright?" Kazukiyo blushed.

"Sounds like fun, right Class Rep?" they asked evilly.

"THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!" he screamed, his world shattering.

"It's all over now," Haruhi said.

"He has no hope in hell," Rin said.

* * *

It was Halloween…Night. The school was decorated with hundreds of pumpkins everywhere. Inside the school, the group of five were hiding at the bottom of the stairs, round the corner. Kazukiyo was feeling uneasy. Rin tried to calm him down, even though she was scared that a loud noise might scare her.

"Hey Kaoru, tell us the story about the evil Clock Tower Witch."

"One Halloween night, many years ago, a girl in a witch costume fell to her death from the tower." Kazukiyo shivered. "And now, whoever sees her ghost on Halloween night…"

"Will be cursed forever!" they finished in unison.

"No! PLEASE STOP IT YOU GUYS!" he screamed.

"Really guys?" Rin asked.

"Will you knock it off?" Haruhi asked. "The point is to scare someone NOT on your team."

"Go tell that story to someone else."

"But no one's come yet. We're tired of waiting around."

"Hey! Not so fast!" Haruhi yelled as she grabbed the lifeless soul of Kazukiyo and pulled it back into his body. "Look Class Rep. Cool huh? I borrowed it from the library. Sure fire methods for coping with anxiety."

"Fujioka…" he said.

"That's so nice of you Haruhi," Rin said. Haruhi smiled at her, acknowledging the compliment.

"Now, let's take a look shall we." She opened the book. "The three cardinal rules for dealing with anxiety are as follows. First, pretend everything's okay." He felt himself crack.

"Second, whistle a cheerful little tune." He was almost broken.

"Thirdly, repeat to yourself, I'm brave!" Yeah, he was gone.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! NONE OF THOSE THINGS ACTUALLY WORK! CALL ME THE CAPTAIN OF ALL COWARDS! SCREAM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS IF YOU WANT, JUST LET ME OUT OF HERE!" He then fell to the ground as his soul left him.

"Really? Even if it means Kurakano will think you're a big chicken?" Kaoru asked. His soul came back. He blushed as he thought about her, and then a smile appeared on his face.

"Whoa, wait a minute, what's going on with you and Kurakano?" Haruhi asked smugly.

"What? It's not like that! We're just friends! I've known her since we were little! None of this has anything to do with it!" he screamed, his face completely red.

"Fine, we understand," the twins said with smirks.

"Funny how you told us that you didn't want to throw your weight around," Hikaru said.

"When the reason you agreed to this, is because you didn't want to look like a fraidy cat," Kaoru said.

"That's not it. That's not the reason why I couldn't oppose it…I…It's just…"

…

_"That sounds like so much fun!" Momoka said._

_…_

"Huh?" the twins asked.

"Kurakano, well, she had her heart set on this tournament. I didn't want to let her down so, I couldn't say no."

"You mean…Oh crap! He's totally pure!" Hikaru said.

"He's got a heart of gold Hikaru!"

"Our powers are nothing against his wholesomeness!" They pictured Tamaki, who is a pure type that is fair game to pick on, according to them.

"…So, does this mean we have to help him now?" Hikaru asked. Kazukiyo then looked up and towards Rin.

"Isn't that why you couldn't oppose it? Because someone had their heart set on this as well?" he asked.

"Rin…is that why?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes. I wouldn't have done this otherwise. I would have been too much of a chicken."

"But because Hikaru wanted to do it, you couldn't let him down either," Kaoru said and she nodded, looking down.

Haruhi smiled, secretly thinking about how cute it was. Kazukiyo was smiling as the focus was taken off him. Hikaru smirked. He lifted her head up as he grabbed her cheeks. He then leant down and kissed her and Kaoru applauded. Haruhi shook her head, smiling.

But then, she saw something move in front of the window. It was a dark shadowy figure. "Sorry to interrupt, but, did you see that? That creepy shadow just now? Outside the window?" Haruhi asked nervously. The two separated, confused.

"OH COME ON! NOT YOU TOO FUJIOKA! KNOCK IT OFF WOULD YA?!" Kazukiyo screamed.

But then they gasped. They heard something rolling down the stairs. They looked around the corner. Right in front of them was a skull.

"AHHHHHH!" they all screamed. Kazukiyo's soul felt like it was leaving his body as the others catch their breath.

"It's a sneak attack from those A team hags," Kaoru said.

"Hey! It's not your turn guys! Follow the rules!" Hikaru said as he kicked the skull all the way back up the stairs.

"Yeah! You show 'em!" Kaoru said as he clapped.

"Well done!" Rin said.

_"My skull….my skull…my skull…my skull..."_

A figure walked over the top of the stairs, looking down at them.

"Could it be…the Clock Tower Witch?" Kazukiyo asked. The figure standing before them had on a white dress with really long black hair, covering their face.

_"Why did you kick…MY SKULL?!"_

They lifted their head up and there was a horrible, decayed face.

"AHHHHHH!" they all screamed as they ran off.

Kaoru and Kazukiyo ran to the left, Kazukiyo screaming like a mad man as he speed past Kaoru.

"Wait up!" Kaoru called.

…

Haruhi and Hikaru ran to the right. As they ran, Haruhi tripped over some kind of rope. She screamed as a trap activated and the two were caught in a trap, hanging in the air. Hikaru gasped as he realised the predicament he was in.

…

Rin ran by herself, down the stairs. She noticed how dark it was downstairs and she instantly regretted her decision. "…Crap."

…

Kazukiyo opened the door, huffing and puffing. He then noticed a figure standing in the middle of the room. "Who's there?" The figure turned around.

"Ughhhhh, I'm Frankenstein," Mori-senpai said as he turned around.

"AHHHH!" he screamed as he ran away.

…

"Oh god, where the hell am I?" Rin asked herself. Luckily, she had found a torch and had turned it on. It was the only light source down there. She opened a door but left it open.

She looked around the room. There was nothing. She sighed, but then the door shut behind her. She screamed as the torch went out.

…

He opened a door, huffing and puffing. He then noticed a small figure standing in the middle of the room.

"I'm the wolf man!" Honey-senpai screamed, wearing a giant pumpkin on his head. Yeah, he was wrong.

"AHHHH!" he screamed as he ran down the hall.

"Class Rep, slow down, I can't keep up!" Kaoru said as he tried to catch up.

Then, Kuretake and Kadomatsu jumped down from the ceiling and kicked them into a room. They slammed the door behind them and put sacks of grains in front of the door.

"My fright strategy was perfection itself," Nekozawa chuckled as he stood in the hallway. "Kyoya? You're not joining in on the fun?"

Kyoya stood against a wall, reading a book with a torch. "I am not."

…

"Oh god. This is not good. This is not good," Rin said to herself as she started to panic. "Okay. Calm down Rin. Calm down. Everything is going to be okay."

There was a loud noise from inside and the room and she screamed. "Okay! It's not good! I'm gonna die!" She ran to the door and tried banging on it. "Help!"

…

"Oh, this is supposed to be a tournament. Not a hunt," Hikaru grunted in pain. "Kaoru! Rin! Where are they! I have to find them!" he yelled as he tried to get out of the net.

"Hey! Quit it! Stop trashing around like an idiot!" He stopped, but he wasn't happy about it. "I can get out of this with my sewing scissors."

"Wow, even you have a feminine side. Impressive."

"And just what is that supposed to mean? You've got a smart mouth."

"What do you mean I've got a smart mouth? Kaoru has one too ya know?"

"Dream on. Not when he's all by himself he doesn't. Unlike you. When you're alone, you only get worse. Believe me."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. I don't understand how Rin can stand it."

"Oh shut up." She then took out her scissors and chopped the rope behind her.

"Now don't move around. If you do, I'll stuff it up." Hikaru rolled his eyes as he looked down the hallway, wondering where his brother and his girlfriend had gone.

"I can't allow this!" someone said as they held the scary mask with long black hair in their hands.

"Patience Tamaki. The payoff is yet to come," Nekozawa said as he held onto his shoulders.

"I don't want to do this," Ren said as he walked around the corner. Nekozawa chuckled.

"Come on senpai," he said mockingly. "It's just some harmless little terror."

"Yeah, but my sister…"

"Don't worry. She'll be fine. All she needs is a little pure, unadulterated terror to brighten her spirits."

"I'm not doing it."

"Oh really? Wouldn't it be interesting if the school found out about your little, relationship on the side?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Kyoya sent me these." He pulled out some photos from the day when they went to the commoner's supermarket. "He said that he got them off Rin's camera. Interesting."

"Please, don't make those public. I'll do it. But if she hates me, it's all your fault."

"I guess I could live with that." He chuckled again.

…

"Come on! Someone's got to be out there! Help me!" Rin screamed as she banged on the door. By this time, she finally gave up and sighed. "Okay. No one's out there. Better find another way out."

She left the door and walked around the room, trying to find another door or a window. There was a loud bang on the door and she screamed. It continued banging as she started going hysteric, crying and screaming. Her throat was hurting. How could no one hear this?

She then felt something wrap around her mouth, stopping her from screaming. The figure then tied her to a chair and then walked out the room.

_What the hell is going on?! Someone help me! Oh god! I'm gonna die! I thought this was a tournament. Not a murder!_

_…_

Back in the Science Room, Kaoru sighed. "It's hopeless. There's no one outside. Looks like the A Team got over zealous, huh?"

"Which one are you?" Kazukiyo asked innocently.

"I'm Kaoru…Are you scared?"

"Not anymore, no. My nerves kinda shut down."

"Man, our plans are completely shot. Such a shame. We even had it all figured out, down to the last detail. We had worked out a plan to frighten Kurakano half to death, and then let you charge in to her rescue."

"Wow, you'd do that for me? That's really thoughtful of you. But I don't stand a chance. There's someone else she likes. While it's true, Fujioka doesn't seem to feel the same way yet, I'm positive it's only a matter of time."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen. I can promise you that."

"Why not?"

"It…just won't."

"Still, this may sound weird but, I don't wanna risk changing anything right now. Cause, things are perfect. Just being on the committee with her is such an honour. If this is as good as it's going to get, I'm still grateful."

"So in other words, you've cast a spell on the carriage. And maybe you're right, Class Rep. Keeping things the way they are, wouldn't be so bad. I'm sure that's what the boss had in mind when he put a spell on his own carriage."

…

_He imagined the host club members all sitting in the carriage together. Tamaki was driving the carriage with the horses._

_…_

"We're like a family to him. He doesn't want that to change."

"Huh?"

"Back when we were children, neither the boss, Rin, her brother, nor Hikaru and I had many friends to speak of. And now he just wants to enjoy what he has as long as he can. I can't blame him."

"Uh, I'm sorry but, you've lost me."

"But still, one of these days, it'll all turn back into that same old grubby pumpkin again."

"Kaoru! Are you in there?!" He gasped. It was Hikaru. He slammed open the door as the two stood up. "Kaoru!"

"Hikaru…" The two then hugged, happy to find each other.

"So uh, what happened to Fujioka?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. Kind of lost track." Just then, Haruhi ran down the halls towards them, almost out of breath.

"What is wrong with you?" she asks. "I get us out and you go tearing off by yourself."

"Sorry about that."

"Wait. Where's Hayashi?" Kazukiyo asked.

"She's not with you?" Haruhi asked.

"No, we thought she was with you," Kaoru said.

"WHAT!? You mean she's lost?" Hikaru asked. "Rin!" he called before he ran down the halls again. Kaoru sighed.

…

Rin was still stuck in the room, tied to a chair with a thing wrapped over her mouth. She was still crying. There was a banging sound all around the room, terrifying her. And the fact that she couldn't run, only made it worse. She felt the figure behind her again, but she recognised it. What?

"I'm sorry," it whispered sadly as it started untying her ropes.

"Ren? What the hell!?" she screamed as she took the thing off her mouth and stood up.

"I'm sorry. They blackmailed me. They were going to tell everyone in the school about the girl from my University. I'm sorry."

She sighed. She knew holding a grudge against him wasn't going to solve anything. "Fine. I forgive you. But don't EVER, do it again."

"Got it!" he said as he saluted. When he heard banging on the door he jumped out a window.

"RIN!" a voice screamed. The door slammed open. She didn't have to respond as the person grabbed her and kissed her like she had just survived life and death. When they separated, she was in complete confusion.

"Hikaru, what the hell happened?" she asked.

"We all got separated. Kaoru was with Kazukiyo and Haruhi was with me. You were all by yourself. I'm so sorry," he said as he hugged her. She noticed the other members of their group run into the room.

"You alright?" Haruhi asked. Rin tried to speak, but she realised how much her throat hurt.

"I…screamed…too much," she said as she rubbed her throat.

"Did they?" Kaoru asked and she nodded.

…

"There they are!" Renge said with tears in her eyes.

"We were so worried about you five. We heard someone screaming. It was so terrifying," Momoka said. Rin lifted her hand up, signifying that it was her. "You poor thing. What did they do to you?" She patted her on the back, same as another girl.

"Why did you leave your post in the middle of the tournament?" one of the boys asked.

"We called off the whole thing to go looking for you."

"Wasn't that you guys trying to scare us?" Kaoru asked.

"Huh? We didn't do anything."

Renge and Momoka hugged each other as they screamed.

"What is it?" Haruhi asked. The two were shaking.

"Outside, by the window," Momoka stuttered.

"There's a dark figure!" Renge cried. The whole class looked up to the ceiling and gasped. It was a dark figure, shaped like Beelzaneef. Everyone screamed as they felt their souls leaving.

* * *

The four stood outside, looking at the bulletin board.

"Ugh. They sure showed us," Haruhi said.

"Nekozawa is such a jerk," Hikaru said.

"How did we not know that was Beelzaneef?" Kaoru asked.

"So, I guess we're all the Captains of Cowards," Rin said.

…

"I heard," Momoka said and Kazukiyo stiffened. "You're really a fraidy cat, aren't you Kazukiyo? But you still did the tournament, just to be nice?"

"Um, yeah, sure," he blushed. "That's it."

"I think that's so unbelievably sweet of you."

…

"Would you look at that? I guess the spell on the carriage can't last forever," Kaoru said as he watched them.

"…What are you talking about?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Hikaru asked.

…

_"What is wrong with you?" she asks. "I get us out and you go tearing off by yourself."_

_"Sorry about that."_

_…_

_"WHAT!? You mean she's lost?" Hikaru asked. "Rin!" he called before he ran down the halls again._

_…_

"Well, since you ran towards me in that situation, I suppose everything's alright for now."

"Huh?" the two asked.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just my own private joke. Let's get out of here." He walked up behind them and pushed them forward as they walked.

"You know how worried I was?" Hikaru asked her.

"Couldn't tell," she said sarcastically.

"Don't you think I get a reward for saving you?"

"Oh shut up," she said as she pulled him close and kissed him. When they separated, they laughed as they walked down the path, holding hands.

"Come on Kaoru, we've got to catch up," Haruhi said as she tapped him on the shoulder. He nodded. She started walking ahead of him, but he stopped.

_Still, one day Hikaru is going to realise that he wants to take it even further than he has already on his own. When that happens, I don't know what I'll do._

"Come on Kaoru! Hurry up!" Hikaru called as they all turned around.

"Yeah! Hurry up or we'll be late!" Rin called. He shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled.

_It might be a while though. But, I guess I'll enjoy it will I still can. After all, there is always a happily ever after._

* * *

**Authors Note:** You cannot believe how much I love this episode! It is so cute! I love the twins'. But let me be clear. I don't like their 'incest' thing. I like the moments where they actually act like brothers, getting worried about each other and caring about how they feel and such. *dreamy sigh*  
(Also, it's short because it's a very artsy episode and it rely a lot on the music and the quiet moments, which is hard to write).  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 – Mori-senpai Has an Apprentice Candidate!**

**AT THE KASANODA SYNDICATE**

The giant wooden door opened and there were about fifty or so men standing around, watching the house in front of them. Just then the door opened and there was a young highschool student.

"Young lord, we wish you good morning," the men said as they bent down, showing their respect.

The highschooler had long red hair, tied in a high ponytail. He walked past them with a grunt.

"Young lord, please return to us safely," one of them said.

"Please return to us safely," they all chorused. He grunted.

"Young lord, have a good day at work today."

"Have a good day at work today!"

He stopped walking. He paused before he turned around and screamed. All the men screamed as they trembled in fear.

"How many times have I told you?" the highschooler known as Kasanoda said with a growl. "I'm not going to work, I'm going to school you idiots.

"Sorry we got it mixed up again!"

"Young lord? What about your car?" a blonde man asked with a broomstick in his hand. Kasanoda started walking again.

"Forget about it. I'm gonna walk to school today."

"Tetsuya, you got to be more careful about how you speak to the young lord, alright?" a man said.

"Especially cause his glaring powers got even more scary!"  
"What do you want to bet that it's cause he's got some beef with some stupid kid at school?"

_Today is the day, _Kasanoda thought as he walked down the street. _Takashi…Morinozuka._

* * *

**AFTER SCHOOL**

The doors to the Host Club opened as the bright light and the red rose petals flooded the hallway. There, stood eight attractive males, all wearing kimonos with ninja headbands, swords and long ponytails. Next to them, stood a cute girl wearing a traditional kimono with her hair tied in a high bun with chopsticks in it.

"Welcome to the host club."

…

"Tamaki? You're dressed as Ryouma Sakamoto right?"

"He's so wild and handsome!"

"Yeah, I'm handsome and wild and I'm gonna steal all your hearts ladies," Tamaki said and the girls squealed.

"We love it when you talk like a samurai Tamaki~!"

…

_Why is he speaking in Tosa dialect? _Haruhi thought.

"Why do I have to wear this ridiculous outfit?" Rin asked as she looked down at the pink traditional kimono.

"And where did they get all the hair extensions?" Ren asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Rin and Haruhi said.

"You know, I never would that thought that late Edo-Era cosplay would be this popular," Haruhi said.

"Come on? You can't be serious," Hikaru said. "That's like one of the basics."

"There's a lot of girls that find the late Edo-Era totally fascinating," Kaoru said. "Particularly the Shinsengumi."

"And most of the girls that like it are complete maniacs about it," Honey-senpai said as he ran over.

"Are they popular because of their noble nature in which they sacrifice their young lives for their country? Or could it be because of their stoic determination? Their choice to live out their lives with the Bushido code. Or could it be…" Renge said as she trailed off. She was what was known as a 'Maniac'.

…

Kaoru's eyes widened as he gasped, nearly falling to the floor. Hikaru caught his brother's wrist and pulled him close.

"Don't die," Hikaru whispered.

"I'm done for brother. Let me go." The girls squealed.

"…That we're intrigued because the worship of these renegade young men is somewhat forbidden." She then slammed her hand down on a table with a microphone as a slid projector showed some pictures. "The Ikeda-ya inn may be well known, but it's only because of Hijikata. Just imagining him after the battle of Toba-Fushimi, his back to the north as he sorrowfully wandered the streets of his homeland, attempting to defend the honour of the Shinsengumi all by himself.

"AH! I could eat three giant bowels of rice!"

"I have no idea what she just said," Rin said. Ren nodded.

"Wow, that was some history lesson Renge," Haruhi said.

"Not having us cast ourselves in specific roles was good advice," Kyoya said as he wrote things down. "Allowing the guests to be free and fantasise on their own was truly a brilliant idea Renge. I'm very impressed."

"I told you it would work," she said smugly. "But you know, I think dressing Haruhi as Souji Okita was perfect!"

"He's wonderful as the handsome, evanescent young swordsman!" one of the girls gushed.

"Haruhi! Please don't die! I couldn't handle it!"

_They're having a sale of pork at the supermarket today, _Haruhi thought with a smile. _I hope I can make it._

_…_

"So, Mori has to be Kai Shimada, don't ya think?"

"No way, he's totally Yamazaki!"

"I think it'd be super cool if he was Souma!" Suddenly, Mori-senpai's eyes narrowed as he stood up. He grabbed his spear and spun it around before stabbing it into a sliding door.

The girls squealed with delight while the hosts were in shock.

"Mori-senpai!" Haruhi said.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Rin asked.

"Why the sudden lunge?" Kaoru asked.

"You're not getting enough attention?" Hikaru asked.

"Please calm down Mori-senpai!" Tamaki yelled. "I know you're sad that you only have one line an episode. We're three fourths through the season and you haven't had your own episode yet. So is that it? I'M SORRY!"

"No," Mori-senpai said as he removed the spear. He then opened the sliding door. "We have a trespasser."

There on the ground, the red haired boy, known as Kasanoda, with a glare on his face. He then stood up and charged at him. "Takashi Morinozuka!"

"A surprise attack?!" all the hosts asked.

"Senpai!" Kasanoda said as he bowed down at his feet. "Please, take me on as your apprentice."

"...Huh?" Honey-senpai giggled. Mori-senpai stood in shock.

"Ritsu Kasanoda. First year, Class D. Heir to the third generation Kasanoda Syndicate. It's the most powerful gang in the area," Kyoya said as he read off his black book. "He was admitted this year into Ouran Academy's Highschool. He has long red hair, a mean looking appearance, is reserved and has few friends. It is said that if your eyes meet his, you'll have bad dreams for three months. If you bump into him, you'll end up in the hospital. Talking back to him leads to you an early grave. He is so feared by his classmates that they call him the walking blizzard."

"Seriously?" Tamaki asked. "But why would a human weapon like yourself want to be Mori-senpai's apprentice?" Kasanoda sat on one of the couches by himself. Kaoru, Hikaru, Rin, Kyoya, Haruhi and Tamaki all sat on the other couch, facing him.

"Well that's…Look, I may be tough but I'm not a human weapon," he said. "I was just born with a face that makes me look mean all the time."

"Well, at least you're aware of it Casanova," the twins said.

"It's Kasanoda."

"Bossanova?" the twins and Tamaki asked.

"I said it was Kasanoda. Do you want to die?!"

The twins and Tamaki hid behind the couch. Haruhi, who was looking at Kyoya's book, finally looked at him.

"Wow, he really is mean looking," the three behind the couch said. This caused Kasanoda to snap out of it.

"Sorry about that," he said. "This always happens because of the way I look. I've always had this mean look, ever since I was born. Even when I was just a tyke, my dad would say…"

…

_"Just you wait. My son's gonna be the greatest gangster of all time," he said to one of the men. Baby Kasanoda crawled over to the sword and placed his hand on it. _"

_"Young lord, you gonna rumble?" the man asked. The doors opened.__  
__"__Young lord, you gonna rumble?!__" about fifty men chorused from behind the sliding doors._

_…_

"So, ever since I was a kid, I've been taught how to be the Godfather of a gang…"

…

_"Don't be too friendly talking to other people. They'll look down on you." A young Kasanoda sat in front of him, wearing a yellow hat._

_"Uh…?"_

_"You've got it all wrong." His father then pulled out a sheet that read the word 'Ah!' He then cleared his throat.__"…AH!" his father screamed and Kasanoda flinched. "See, how you give it a try." Kasanoda took a deep breath._

_"….AHHH!" His father flinched back in terror._

_"Not bad. Nice and gangsterish. Now, let's try this." There was a sign that read 'Ma!' "Ma," he said, sounding like a robot._

_"That's not gangster! That's something from that other show Robo! WHEN AM I EVER GONNA USE THAT STUPID CATCHPHRASE!"_

_…_

"My pop's was a great teacher and he made me a true gangster. That's great and all, but everyone's afraid to come near me. Even my fellows are scared of me, so, I'm all alone…It's like, they forget I'm young and sometimes I just wanna play. I wanna get out with my fellows and play a game of Kick the Can."

"A good game of Kankeri is fun," Tamaki said, leaning over the top of the chair. Haruhi sighed.

"But I've been living the life of a gangster and…I don't know how to interact with regular people."

"Aww, that poor guy," Honey-senpai said. He, Mori-senpai and Ren all sat at a table behind them, doing their own thing.

"Morinozuka-senpai, that's why I need you to show me. How do you manage to have so many friends?" He turned around. "When you're just as mean looking as me." He gasped. "You're expressionless, distant, and hardly ever talk. Plus, you got a mug that makes you look like a watch dog from hell, so, how come you've got so many friends? What are you doing that I'm not? Please, teach me your secrets, I'm begging you!" Kasanoda bent down at Mori-senpai's feet again.

Mori-senpai then leaned his head down on his fingers, trying to clear his head.

"Hey Takashi, are you okay?"

"I'm just a little light headed."

"What do we do now boss?" Hikaru asked.

"Shouldn't we do something about this?" Kaoru asked.

"Just leave him alone. Don't get involved," Tamaki said.

"Wow, is the first time you're not getting involved?" Rin asked.

"Well, like he said, he wants to be Mori-senpai's apprentice. So that means, Mori-senpai decides what to do. This isn't something any of us should be interfering with."

"Tamaki," Mori-senpai said. He turned his head around. He gave one quick glance, his eyes screaming for help before Tamaki gasped, understanding.

"Well, in that case, since you insist Mori-senpai, I, Tamaki Suoh, promise you that I'll do whatever it takes to assist you."

"Yeah right, he wanted to get involved so bad, he couldn't bare it," Haruhi commented.

"Now lift your head Bossanova," Tamaki said as he lifted his chin.

"I said it's Kasanoda."

"From now on you may address me as King. Okay Bossanova?"

"That's not my name."

"Are you listening to me Bossanova?!" Kasanoda stiffened.

"Y-Yeah.

"There are many differences between you and our beloved Mori-senpai. But there is also one definitive thing that you are lacking. And that is, a lovely item."

"A. Lovely. Item?!" Kasanoda screamed.

"Bossanova, I would like to introduce you to, a lovely item named Mitskuni." Honey-senpai giggled. "Sure, Mori-senpai may be kind of mean looking, and he may seem distant when you first meet him, but what if we put Mitskuni on his shoulders? Suddenly, it's like he's a fearless teddy bear that all the animals adore! In addition, this lovely item also plays out Mori-senpai's strong and silent character.

"Even without saying anything, just by placing Honey-senpai next to him, people begin to have a new found admiration for Mori-senpai. Suddenly, he's seen in a positive light as a nice, quiet, young gentlemen. That's the plan! I'm not exaggerating when I say, most of Mori-senpai's charm is directly related to his friend Honey-senpai!"

"Yeah, you're right," Haruhi, Rin and the twins said.

"Now that you mention it, Mori-senpai-" Haruhi said.

"Doesn't really do much," Hikaru continued.

"Yeah, his positions totally robust," Kaoru said.

"Honey-senpai seems to do most of the work for him," Rin said.

"Guys, he's right there," Ren said with a glare.

"Takashi," Honey-senpai said. "Have you really been using me this entire time?" He started crying. Mori-senpai shook his head, wanting to scream out at him.

"I'm sorry, but Honey-senpai is on a long term lease to Mori-senpai right now," Tamaki said, crossing his arms. "So, I can't let you borrow him."

"Is Tama-chan telling the truth?! Are you renting me?!"

It seemed like Mori-senpai's jaw dropped to the floor as he looked like he was having a fit, trying desperately to yell at him.

"Don't worry, I'll come up with something to take his place. So the next thing we need to discuss, is your disturbing Yankee fashion sense." He clicked his fingers. "Now, Hitachiin brothers."

"Yes sir!"

"It's your job to make this man more fashionable!"

"Roger!" the twins screamed as they jumped at him.

"Oh no, he's dead," Rin said and Haruhi nodded.

* * *

**KASANODA SYNDICATE**

Tetsuya stood at the open, big brown doors, sweeping away.

"T-Thanks for uh, cleaning up, Tetsu," Kasanoda said as he walked towards him.

"Oh young lord, welcome home. How was your" He then stopped once he noticed what he was wearing. Kasanoda had on a green and yellow spotted scarf, a pink starred band-aid, some shades and his hair looked like Raggedy Ann's. The 'Lovely Item' he was holding was of course, Tamaki's stupid brown teddy bear.

Kasanoda was blushing from embarrassment.

"Welcome home, young lord," one of them men said as they all bent down and watched him pass. They looked uncomfortable.

"Yeah, welcome home young lord.**"** He grunted.

"Young lord, what the hell is going on?" Tetsuya asked. "Did something happen at school today?" Kasanoda stopped. He turned around and screamed, the men screaming in terror. Tetsuya was the only one with no reaction. Kasanoda looked at him sadly, before running off. "Wait, young lord." But it was too late. He shut the doors behind him.

"Dammit! This is completely wrong, isn't it?" Kasanoda screamed as he chucked the teddy bear down on the floor. "They might as well have got the freaking girl to do it. She probably would have done a better job than those idiots! Those jerks lied to me!"

"So you're telling me that, that kid is the fourth head of the Kasanoda Syndicate?"

"What do we do now? We can't go busting into their estate."

"We'll get them at school tomorrow. We got to make sure that punk pays for what he's done." The giant brown doors closed as they started planning their evil scheme.

"It's getting dark out here. Looks like it's gonna rain. Uh oh. I hope the young lord took his umbrella today," Tetsuya said.

"Big brother Morinozuka!" Kasanoda said as he bowed. "I just wanted to say good morning." Students walking past looked in confusion, some slightly nervous.

"Good morning to you Bossanova!" Honey-senpai said.

"Right back at you, Haninozuka-senpai!" The students around them turned to ice. Honey-senpai hid behind his cousin.

"B-Back at ya." Kasanoda held his hands out.

"Want me to carry your bags to your classroom, senpai?"

"That's okay. I can manage," Mori-senpai said. His eyes then widened as he used one finger to push Kasanoda out of the way.

"What the hell are you-" he started before he fell to the ground, a potted plant smashing onto the ground in front of him. The students started whispering. Another potted plant fell and Mori-senpai took action.

He used one hand and swung at the pot, smashing it into two clean pieces before it smashed onto the ground. Kasanoda watched in complete shock. Mori-senpai had closed his eyes as he swung, he couldn't even see it! When he opened his eyes, he looked at the roof, glaring.

"Mori! You're not hurt are you?" a girl asked as they all rushed over.

"You okay Morinozuka?" a boy asked.

"Who would do something like this?" another girl asked. Mori-senpai regained his calm composure and looked at them. Honey-senpai climbed up onto his back.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah."

_Everybody loves him, _Kasanoda thought, still on the ground. _Even though he's scary looking. Ugh, never mind that. I've got bigger things to worry about._ He looked at the plant.

**MUSIC ROOM #3**

"Hmm? Someone's out to get Mori-senpai?" Tamaki asked.

"No doubt about it," Kasanoda said. "I was there. I saw everything. He's obviously gotten on somebody's bad side."

"Nah, that's impossible," Hikaru said.

"There's no way Mori-senpai would ever be on someone's bad side," Kaoru said. They were all seated the same way as yesterday.

"How can you be so sure? You don't know that."

"Don't you worry you're pretty little head about that. Operation, 'Bossanova's Total Image Makeover' is in full effect as of right now!" Tamaki said as he pulled out a white board. On it, was the 'Turn Bossanova into an Angel Project' and two pictures. One of him with devil horns, the other with a halo and wings.

"Yes sir!" the twins and Honey-senpai saluted.

"Hey! What the hell are you talking about?! What do you mean we're starting right now?! You trying to pretend that yesterday never happened?! Thanks to yesterday's 'makeover', people are even more afraid of me than they usually are."

"Now hold on a second. Let me explain Bossanova," Tamaki said as he waltzed over. "We all support you. And we're behind you one hundred percent. Yesterday, the twins were just getting a little carried away."

"A little? A think they got way too carried away," Rin said.

"I hope you forgive them," Tamaki said, trying to ignore Rin's comments.

_They support me? _He thought with a blush.

"I'm sorry. I'll follow your lead from here on out." Tamaki, Kyoya and Mori-senpai joined them at the whiteboard. Kasanoda remained seated. He sighed, watching them work.

"Sorry about them," Rin said as she stood up and walked over. "They just can't stand to see someone in despair. They always have to help, even if they do go overboard. Believe me. If you really do want our help, you'll just have to get used to their antics, Kasanoda."

"You know my name?"

"Of course. The others are just unobservant." She took a seat down next to him.

"Oh. So, what's your name?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm Rin Hayashi, nice to meet you," she said. The two shook hands for a moment before going back to normal.

"So, you're in this 'Host Club' as well?" She smiled.

"Yeah, I am. I entertain men instead of females. My brother's in this as well, even though he doesn't go to the school. The club is a great pastime though. Makes things more interesting."

_A girl…is…talking to me? The most popular girl in school isn't afraid of me? _He thought as he blushed.

"Hey, Casanova," Haruhi called and they turned around. "Just thought I'd warn you. I wouldn't put my faith in that bunch if I were you." She had a tray with three cups of tea on it.

"Just as I had explained to stay with them," Rin muttered with annoyance, though no one seemed to hear her.

"Why thank you, but Morinozuka recommended these guys to me. Besides, I don't have much of a choice. Without their help, I got nothing…Hey, I don't think I've met you before. What was your name?"

"I'm Haruhi Fujioka," she said as she placed three cups of tea down in front of them, sitting down next to Rin. "We're both first years. Same as Rin over here. Just like you, we didn't get admitted until highschool. Guess the three of us are buddies." She smiled and Rin giggled.

"So Haruhi, Rin, do you like to play Kick the Can?"

"Well um, to be honest, it's not my favourite thing in the world," Haruhi said. "But you know, it might be fun once in a while. What about you Rin?"

"I actually really enjoy it," she said with a smile. He blushed.  
"What is it?" Haruhi asked as Kasanoda stared at the two of them.

_This guy reminds me of a chick!_

"Bossanova!" Tamaki called. Kasanoda stiffened.

"Y-Yes!" he stammered out.

"I think we've figured out something that will change your tough guy image."

…

There was statue of a cat, staring at them. The host members all had the same reaction, but Kyoya had his back turned. Kasanoda stood there, with a pair of cat ears on his head.

"…A cat monster," Honey-senpai said and they all agreed.

"Now that didn't work. I don't know what went wrong. Renge said that kitty ears were all the rage," Tamaki said. "She said that they were the perfect lovely item. What could have happened?"

"The fact that you listened to Renge about this, would be exactly why it wouldn't have worked, or so you claim," Rin said.

"Get realistic. Putting kitty ears on him isn't going to affect how people perceive him. He still looks mean," Kyoya said.

"No kidding. That was pretty lame boss," Hikaru said.

"For real. If you're gonna take it that far," Kaoru said.

"You might as well go all the way and make him a kitty eared maid," the two said, holding a maid outfit.

"Are you guys making fun of me?" Kasanoda asked.

"This is going to end terribly," Rin said.

"I hope no one comes through that door," Ren said.

…

"Sorry to bother you," Tetsuya said as he opened the door. "But is the young lord, Kasanoda, in here?" Everything went silent. There was Kasanoda in the middle of the room, wearing kitty ears and a maid dress. The other members were standing around the room. Both Rin and Ren had face palmed.

"Well done, you jinxed it," Rin said.

"Sorry," Ren grumbled. Tetsuya tried to hide his scream.

"So, here you are…"

"AHHH!" Kasanoda screamed as he grabbed him by the collar.

"Sir, there's no problem. You can do whatever you want in your spare time."

"WHAT?! DO YOU THINK THIS IS A HOBBY OF MINE?! DAMMIT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" He chucked the kitty ears on the ground, took off the dress and ran out of the room.

"Young lord!" Tetsuya called, but it was too late. "Young lord!" He then ran out of the room after him.

Haruhi picked up the cat ears, inspecting them.

…

_"It's like, they forget I'm young and sometimes I just wanna play. I wanna get out with my fellows and play a game of Kick the Can."_

…

"Maybe an image change isn't what Kasanoda needs," she said.

"I think you're right," Honey-senpai said as he walked over. "I sure hope he realises soon." He bent down.

"Yeah, he just needs some more confidence," Rin said.

* * *

He looked down at a small basket, hidden at the bottom of the hedge maze, surrounded by beautiful red roses.

_"Kasanoda is always in such a bad mood."_

_"I know, he's so scary."_

_"They say you can't look him in the eye."_

He growled to himself. _Why am I always so…?_ He then bent down and picked up the basket, taking the top off. Inside, were pieces of paper. In the middle was a bird, a bandage wrapped around its wing.

"There ya go, I found ya something to eat," he said as he sat in the middle of the courtyard, near the fountain. "Now, let me see how your wing is doing. Hey, it's looking pretty good."

"Is that a sparrow?" Haruhi asked as she walked over.

"Oh uh, Haruhi, what are you doing here?"

"So, what happened to it…your sparrow?"

"Oh, I saw it fall from its nest the other day. I could tell it was hurt so I took it to the vet. They'd said he'd be find in no time."

"Awww. So uh, do you mind if I feed it?"

"Uh, go ahead."

…

_"I'm Haruhi Fujioka._ _We're both first years. Guess the three of us are buddies."_

_…_

_This guy doesn't seem to be afraid of me at all. He's got such big dark eyes and sparkly. He really is like a chick…Chicks are especially afraid of me. I've never really had the chance to talk to a girl like this. The conversation I had with Rin was only short and limited. And even though she is pretty, she is going out with that Hitachiin brother from what I've seen. _

_But Haruhi…HOLY CRAP! WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO ME?! WHAT AM I THINKING?! HARUHI'S A DUDE!_

"Look out!" Honey-senpai screamed. He jumped into the air and kicked the incoming can. The inside, which was red paint, flew out and sprayed over Haruhi's right arm and shoulder. She yelped and the bird flew off her hand and into the sky.

"It flew away," Haruhi muttered.

"It flew away," Kasanoda repeated with slight relief.

"AHH! HARUHI! WHAT HAPPENED! THAT'S NOT BLOOD IS IT?!" Tamaki screamed as he ran over.

"Unless she went and murdered someone, I doubt it," Rin said.

"Rin's right. It's just a bit of paint," Haruhi said, standing up.

"You alright Fujioka?" Kasanoda asked as he stood up. She nodded her head, and he nodded back.

"Hey! Let go of me you bastard!" They all turned around and saw Mori-senpai holding two guys, one arm on each of them.

"Dammit! Ya big bamethoh!"

"You're playing dirty Kasanoda! First you go and kidnap our gang's boss' kid. And then make us deal with our muscle bound lackeys! We know you kidnapped the kid! Just give him back, now!"

"We've heard enough out of you!" the twins said, holding a rope and a strange tool. "We'll shut you up!"

"Finally. Get rid of them," Rin said and they nodded.

_"Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie!"_

"What the hell is going on here?" Kasanoda asked.

_"Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie. Tie!"_

"You see, Takashi wasn't on anyone's bad side. These guys are after you." The twins had finished tying them and were tightening the ropes so much that the goons groaned in agony. "When we caught them, we decided to not say anything to you because we didn't want you to have to mess with them."

"I, I can't believe it," Kasanoda said as he walked towards them.

"So, you helped me? But how come?" Mori-senpai placed his hand on top of Kasanoda's head.

"We can tell who the bad guys are, just by looking at 'em," Mori-senpai and Kasanoda gasped while he blushed.

"I should probably go and change clothes," Haruhi announced as she inspected the paint stain.

"Want us to come help you?" the twins asked.

"Drop dead," Haruhi said as she walked away.

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny," Rin said as she stood behind the twins with her hands on her hips. "What the hell was that?!"

"Calm down babe, I was just kidding. Like I want to see some flat chested girl changing anyway," Hikaru said.

"You better have been kidding," she said. He chuckled as he put his arm around her waist. She smiled, sighing.

…

"You dumbasses!" a voice called. They all turned to see someone kicking one of the men in the chest. He did the same to the other.

"Sonny!" the two said.

"Shut up! You've said enough today. Don't you get it? The reason I left was because I was sick of hanging out with the likes of you! Now get lost, ya hear me?!" Tetsuya asked annoyed. The boys slithered away, as they were still tied up.

"Tetsuya, what's going on?" Kasanoda asked, walking up to him.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you sir." He bent down. "I'm Tetsuya Sendo. I'm the son of the Godfather's Sendo Syndicate. But I've always been apposed of the cutthroat way the Syndicate handles their business. One rainy day, about a year ago, my old man and I got into a fight, and I ran away from home. I never felt as anxious as I did that day. It was terrible. I had nowhere to go and the people who'd pass me on the street, just ignored me. They pretended like I wasn't even there.

"And that's when I met you, young lord."

…

_Tetsuya looked up and saw Kasanoda standing in front of him, which much shorter hair and an umbrella. He then lifted the umbrella away from his head and down to Tetsuya. _

…

"The second I saw you, I knew exactly what kind of person you were. After that, when I decided to join the Kasanoda Syndicate, you kindly accepted me. Young lord, I know you're more self-conscious and more awkward than most people, but I also know that you're more kind hearted than most people…And it's not just me. Everyone in the whole Syndicate knows it. They just don't say anything cause it'd embarrass you.

"I, Tetsuya Sendo, realised that I wanted to become more like you. That's why I cut all ties with the Sendo Syndicate and instead, joined the Kasanoda Syndicate. I hope, young lord, that you'll allow me to remain by your side. Oh, I almost forgot, the umbrella." He pulled it out of his winter coat and held it towards him.

"The weather was looking bad, so I thought you might need it. We don't want our young lord catching a cold. Everyone would worry." Kasanoda had to smile.

"Who'd a thought," he said quietly as he took the umbrella. "I-I'll uh, just keep that with me."

"What a great story! It's so touching!" the twins cried into their tissues. Rin patted the two on the back, comforting them.

"It's alright boys. Calm down," she said.

"Oh, I should apologise to Fujioka. After all, it is my fault he got paint on him," Kasanoda said.

"Haru-chan went back to the club room to change clothes," Honey-senpai said with a smile.

"Yeah? Oh, thanks a lot. I'll be right back." And with that, he walked off back into the school.

"Hey! Young lord! Think we can play Kick the Can later?"

"Yeah!"

…

"We did a good thing guys!" Tamaki said.

"Are you delusional?" Rin asked.

"We didn't do anything boss," the twins said.

"Don't any of you care that Kasanoda went to Haruhi who is changing clothes," Kyoya said slyly.

"…WHAT!?" the four screamed.

**MUSIC ROOM #3**

Kasanoda walked down the halls and towards the room. He opened the door and peeked in.

"Hey Fujioka! You in here?" he asked, but the room was empty.

"Oh, maybe he's in the prep room." He then walked over to another set of pink doors. "Fujioka! You okay?" He opened the door. "I'm sorry about-" His face then went completely red at what he saw.

Haruhi had taken off her undershirt and was left in a white bra and her school pants. She turned around.

"Ah! Get out!" she yelled as she covered herself up.

"Kasanoda! Get the hell out here!" Rin screamed as she rushed in and ran in front of him. "What are you waiting for?! Get out!" She held her arms out to the side, trying to block his view.

"Ma…Ma…MA!" He had turned into a blushing robot.

* * *

**Authors Note: **...This was a weird episode. But then again, a very funny one. As are all the other ones.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 – Tamaki's Unwitting Depression!**

He opened the door. "I'm sorry about-" His face then went completely red at what he saw.

Haruhi had taken off her undershirt and was left in a white bra and her school pants. She turned around.

"Ah! Get out!" she yelled as she covered herself up.

"Kasanoda! Get the hell out here!" Rin screamed as she rushed in and ran in front of him. "What are you waiting for?! Get out!" She held her arms out to the side, trying to block his view.

"Ma…Ma…MA!" He had turned into a blushing robot. "…My…bad," he stuttered before he ran out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He took deep breaths as he lent against the door. He then looked in front of him.

"Peeping Tom!" the twins yelled and he screamed. His legs were shaking ridiculously.

"You saw-" Hikaru started.

"Didn't you Bossanova?" Kaoru finished.

"NO! I didn't see. I mean, I caught a glimpse yeah, but it was all so fast and I, and then Rin came in and then, I, I, It was an accident! I swear to you that I'm not a pervert!" Out of nowhere, Honey-senpai appeared in front of him with a cold look.

"Of course you would say that. Sure sign of a guilty conscious." Kasanoda began shaking even more. He screamed as he felt himself falling forward. The door had slightly opened and in walked in an angry Rin, with her hands on her hips.

"So Kasanoda, what did you wait for then? If you're not a pervert, then why didn't you leave when I asked you?"

_How the hell is it that the Lovely Item and the girl are the scariest ones in the room?_

"I-I, but I'm not, I," he stuttered nervously. He noticed Rin's eyes narrow and he gulped. "So, Fujioka's a girl?"

"Red alert. He's onto Haruhi's little secret," Kaoru said.

"That's not good," Hikaru said. Tamaki gasped.

_A dinosaur stood in the middle of space. "GRRRRROOOO~N!"_

"So, let's hear it," Hikaru said.

"How much of her maidenly interacognito did you actually see?"

"Well, s-she was changing so I uh, saw her underwear."

"YOU SAW HARUHI'S UNDERWEAR?!" Tamaki gasped.

_A volcano formed from inside the plant and erupted with lava._

"So what do we do?" Kaoru asked.

"There's only one thing to do. We have to induce amnesia. Hold him!" Hikaru said as he grabbed a baseball bat. Kaoru grabbed Kasanoda and held him down.

"This is not the way to solve this," Rin said as she took the bat off him. "You two have to hold him down while _I_ swing." Hikaru than ran to his brother and helped hold Kasanoda down. Rin was charging her swing when Kyoya put his hand up.

"That's enough you three. Save the salt and batter to the professionals," he said.

"What are you? Made of ice? How can you be so calm about this?" Kaoru asked. Hikaru then took the bat off of Rin.

"Look!" he said as he pointed with the bat. "The boss is in so deep in shock, he's regressing!"

There was Tamaki in a dark corner of the room, a spotlight shining down on him. He sat with his knees to his chest, pale and white, seeming to fade away. He had somehow lost his ability of speech, as he mumbled incoherent things to himself.

_Two meteors crashed into each other, making a bright light._

"Well, now that it seems that the proverbial cat is out of the bag," Kyoya said. He adjusted his glasses. "Let's talk." Kasanoda gasped.

"Haruhi is compelled to hide the fact that she's a girl due to certain…mitigating circumstances. While we can physically force you to cooperate exactly, there is something I would like you to bear in mind. Coming from the sort of family you do, I'm sure you've heard all the juicy little rumours. Enough to know what is true, and what is not. Take the Ootori Group's private police force, the Black Onion Squad. It is said they can be mobilised against our enemies in a blink of an eye."

He then put on a fake smile. "You have heard of them, right?" Suddenly, there was a purple aura surrounding him, an evil one.

_Clearly this isn't just a talk._

It was intimidation, to say the least.

"Come on guys, stop scaring Casanova," Haruhi said as she opened the door and walked in. "Sorry about all this."

"H-Hey Fujioka."

"Look, it's alright. Doesn't really matter to me. You can tell whoever you want to." Kasanoda blushed.

"Isn't this interesting?" Rin asked, glaring.

"This is wrong on so many levels," Ren said.

"Well, well Bossanova," Hikaru said.

"Since you know she's a girl, are you in love?" Kaoru asked.

Tamaki's eyes suddenly glowed yellow as he grew angry.

_The moon crashed into the sun, smashing both into little pieces._

Tamaki screamed as he felt like his head would explode.

* * *

**KASANODA SYNDICATE**

Night had fallen as Tetsuya walked down the halls. There were trays of food outside when of the sliding doors, which was Kasanoda's bedroom. He sighed as he walked down the hall.

A large group of men were sitting in one room, whispering and talking to each other, some more worried than others. Tetsuya opened the sliding door and the talking stopped.

"Tetsuya, how is the young lord?"

"Did he refuse to eat dinner again?"

"Yeah."

"Dammit all! What is wrong with him?! Are we not giving him the moral support like you told us too?! When is he gonna snap the hell out of this?!" Tetsuya looked down, slightly saddened.

"And what about Kick the Can huh?" another man asked. "Did I chug all those drinks for nothing?" He looked behind him at the giant stack of empty cans. "We were supposed to play!" The man in the room started crying and whimpering.

"I mean, did you see his face when he came home from school today? The young lord looked like he just killed someone."

"Stop it! Now! Please, everyone!" Tetsuya yelled, silencing them all. "You mustn't be discouraged. The emotional support has been getting through to him, I know it, it's just…"

"What?" someone asked.

"Well, it's obvious there's something different weighing on his mind today." They all looked at each other.

"Then what's the matter?!"

"As I was bring the young lord his dinner earlier this evening…"

…

_Tetsuya placed down the fourth tray of food in front of his door. He opened the sliding door and took a peek inside. "Young lord?" he asked into the darkness. He noticed Kasanoda, picking petals off a flower. _

_"Love. Like. Love. Like. Love. Like," he said. He sighed with relief. "Good. Hayashi is nothing more to me than a friend." His back was turned, but there was a smile on his face, Tetsuya could tell that much. _

_Tetsuya smiled. He was testing how in love he was with the blonde girl, Tetsuya thought. He noticed him pick up another flower though, and he started picking the petals off of that one. "Like. Love. Like. Love. Like…Love." He then gasped. _

_"I knew it! I'M IN LOVE WITH FUJIOKA!"_

_…_

"So you're saying he's…"

"In love?**" **all the men in the room asked.

"Does the young lord even have a chance?"

"That Hayashi girl is a sight to see, but she does have a boyfriend. But, I see Fujioka and him hanging out at school all the time. Fujioka does have an unusually cute face. I mean, for a guy," Tetsuya said and they all gasped, screaming.

**"**Ehhhhhhhh?!**"**

"So what does that mean?"

"It means he's in love with a dude!"

…

_"I'm sorry about all this Casanova," Haruhi said, blushing._

_…_

"This is bad!" Kasanoda said as he held his head. "Now that I know he's a she, I can't get her out of my mind!"

…

_Haruhi turned around, only wearing her bra and her school pants._

_"No peaking, you naughty boy," she said with a smirk as she covered herself up, teasingly._

_…_

Clearly, his memory was a state of delusion. "AHHHHHH!" He was now blushing really hard. "She's just so cute!"

…

_"Look, it's alright. Doesn't really matter to me. You can tell whoever you want to." She then giggled._

_…_

"She was…She was bluffing! Oh how incredibly brave!" He yelled as he stood up. "My poor Fujioka! She must be in some desperate situation if she has to dress up like a guy and pretend to be a host!" He then ripped his shirt off and chucked it across the room. He then pulled out a black marker and wrote something on his arm. It read, 'I will keep Fujioka's secret for life.'

"Alright, from this point forward, I'll keep Fujioka's secret, even if it costs me my life!"

* * *

**MUSIC ROOM #3**

It was five minutes past three, once again, and the host club was open for business. It was a strange set of footsteps though, that caused all the girls in the club to turn around.

"It's Kasanoda, from Class D," a girl said.

"I heard he made himself Mori-senpai's apprentice."

"I wonder if that means he's training to be a host too." Kasanoda hesitantly walked over to one of the large couches and sat down. The girls looked at each other, wondering if he was becoming a host, or wanting to request Rin, which was completely normal.

"I'd…like to request Fujioka," he said and all the girls screamed.

**"**Ehhhhhhhh!?**"**

"What is this?"

"Is he for real?"

Renge's mechanical laughter started as the powerful motor booted up, and she rose in from underneath the floor. She was sitting down on the pedestal, her eyes closed. But when she opened them, they glowed yellow with evil intent.

"A genuine article," she said. "At long last!"

"Renge! Is it true? Is he really?" a girl asked, running over.

"Could he really be, that kind of persuasion?"

"What the hell is going on?" the guys asked each other.

"Why would he go for Fujioka?"

"Instead of Hayashi?"

"Is he…?"

"No way!"

Kasanoda looked at them all, confused and worried.

_What are they going on about? _He thought, nervously._ Before yesterday, people would freeze in terror if I even looked at them._

_…_

_He turned around, glaring at the students who were whispering about him behind his back. The students screamed as they froze in their position. He was the walking blizzard. _

_…_

_But for some reason, today is different. However hard I glare, no one is freezing. Just the opposite. All eyes, are on me. And it burns. _

He looked around and saw all the males and female guests in the club room were staring at him, fire surrounding them. Never underestimate the flames of Moe.

"Hello Kasanoda. What are you doing here today?" Rin asked as she walked past.

"Oh, Hayashi. Nice to see you again."

"You too. I'm guessing you've requested Haruhi. Is that correct?"

"Y-Yeah." Rin smiled and he blushed.

"He'll be right with you in a minute." She then turned and walked away. He watched her go and whisper something into the twins' ears. They then glared at him, as they charged. She held them back though.

_What the hell did she say to them?_

"Welcome Casanova," Haruhi said as she walked over with a tray, filled with sweets, a tea pot and two tea cups. "So, you're our guest today huh?" She sat down next to him and he blushed, getting nervous.

"T-That's right." He watched her as she cutely started making some tea for them.

_Come on, keep it together Ritsu. Don't lose your cool. _

His legs started shaking.

"So, would you like to have some tea? How much sugar do you normally put in?"

"Here, let me help."

"Now, now, you're our guest. It's okay." She then poured him a cup of the rich tea.

_Tea, made especially, for me!_

"So, tell me, is this your first time in a place like this?" He gasped as he felt his heart pound, making him shake even more. She laughed with a big smile on her face. "Ha! Got ya." His legs were shaking even more than before.

"You sure have this down huh?"

"Well trust me, it didn't come naturally at all, at least not at first. But then I realised that if I just sat back and had fun with it, everything sort of fell into place on its own." She smiled at him and he blushed even harder.

…

Rin, Hikaru and Kaoru were all standing around a pillar across the room. They were trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Hey! Don't just stand there Kyoya-senpai!" Kaoru yelled. "Get him out of here!"

"If he's getting along with his goons so well now, then why does he need to be here in the first place?" Hikaru asked.

"He has kept Haruhi's secret so far. And, since he's a paying guest after all, I see no reason to eject him."

"Same old stingy Kyoya," Rin muttered as she kept listening.

"But the other guests are afraid!" the twins yelled.

"Oh, no, I think not," Kyoya said as he pointed. "Observe."

There seemed to be hearts surrounding the two as a bright light and roses seemed to glow around them.

"The look on his face is just priceless," one of the girls said.

"I've never seen someone so in love before."

"He looks more constipated than anything," one of the guys. He cried as the girls started smacking him.

Renge's blushed with a squeal as she watched the two interact. She pulled out her mobile phone and dialled a number.

"Hello, Suria," she said into the phone. "Forget about your stupid violin lesson and hightail it to the Host Club! I'm telling you! This is a one and only chance to witness something totally amazing!"

"Hello, Kurakano! You've got to get to the Host Club right now! If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

"Dude, get down to the Host Club. It's a one in a lifetime thing. It's too funny for words, just get down here."

"See?" Kyoya asked. "We're just fine. Thanks to him, we may even set a new record." He then wrote down some notes.

"You money-grubbing enabler!" the twins said angrily.

"That's the Shadow King for you," Rin said.

…

"Can I pour you another cup of tea?" Haruhi asked.

"Ah yes, thank you."

…

"Oh no. She's giving him the adorable smile," Hikaru said.

"The one which no man can resist," Kaoru said.

"Yeah, we've lost Kasanoda," Rin said.

"Isn't it Bossanova?" they asked.

"It's Kasanoda."

"Wow, usually you two wouldn't waste any time interrupting the two of them," Honey-senpai said as he walked over.

"Yeah, I'm actually impressed," Ren said with a smile.

"Yeah, but our hands are tied. After our screw up in Karuizawa, she'd never forgive us if we butted in," Hikaru said.

"Karuizawa was really your screw up Hikaru," Kaoru said. Hikaru glared slightly, before looking at Rin.

"Don't look at me. He is right. You're just lucky I managed to calm you down," she said and he sighed.

"Which is why I'm lucky to have you," he said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"You would be so stuffed without me."

"Hey boss," he said as the three turned around. "Are you done being shell shocked yet?"

"Yeah, we could use your King right about now," Kaoru said. Tamaki made an incoherent grunt and they growled. The two then grabbed him and chucked him.

"Go get him!"

"Ahhhh," Tamaki tried to scream, but it came more as a whine.

He landed stiffly, like a robot. "Ma!" he said as he stood up. He then walked forward, not bending any part of his body. He was like a robot, quite literally. With every step he took, he repeated the words, 'Ma' over and over. His footsteps were heavy and sounded like metal.

Kasanoda was looking around, blushing. Haruhi turned around at the sound. "Tamaki-senpai?" she asked.

"Huh?" Kasanoda asked.

"Uh, what exactly are you doing?" Tamaki then stiffly sat in the middle of them. Haruhi groaned as she picked him up and placed him on the other side of her. "Hey, if you want to sit down, do it over there."

She then pulled something out of her pocket. "You can play with this if you want a distraction."

It was a plastic bag she placed in his hands. Inside the bag, were two pieces of metal, bent with a circle at the end.

"It was a little freebie from the supermarket when I bought the instant coffee earlier." The two pieces of metal were attached together in the circle. Tamaki started at the thing blankly, not sure what to do.

He pulled it out of the bag and started trying to separate them. During this time, Haruhi and Kasanoda continued to bond.

Quickly, he got them separated. He looked at them with glee as he held them both in separate hands.

"Look. I solved it. Har-u-hi," he said, his voice sounding really robotic as he turned to face her.

"Wow, that was fast. Now try and see if you can put them back together."

"Ma," Tamaki said as he tried putting the two together. Again, Haruhi and Kasanoda continued to bond.

…

Rin face palmed. "That idiot," she grumbled.

"That moron," the twins growled. Hikaru then got an idea.

"Rin, your cell phone," he said. She handed it over and he dialled a number. Tamaki's phone started ringing. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, placing it at his ear.

"Ma."

"Earth to boss. Will you snap out of it already?! The longer you sit there like an idiot, playing robot, the worse the situation becomes for all of us."

"Ma?"

"Now, listen to me carefully. You can't let this happen! If she and that two bit thug hit it off, she's going to spend her life, as a mob-wife!" Tamaki's eyes then widened.

…

_Haruhi had a loose purple kimono on as she placed her umbrella behind her. She pulled down the top of her kimono slightly, showing a tattoo of Tamaki's brown bear, injured, surrounded by red roses. She pulled out a sword and slammed it down into a white rose. _

_"Low life snitch," she said, her voice deeper and angrier than usual. "You ratted me out!"_ _Apparently, this is what a mod-wife is._

_…_

Tamaki's grip on the phone was so strong that it smashed into little tiny pieces. His legs were uncontrollably shaking.

"What?" he said quietly. "No way."

"Yes way," Rin said into the phone. "And if you don't do something soon, that's what's gonna happen."

From this statement, Tamaki closed the phone and placed it down on the couch. His eyes glowed yellow with evil as he slammed his hands down on the table. He then stood up.

"AHHH! DADDY WON'T STAND FOR THAT!" he screamed.

"Uh, please don't do this," Haruhi said.

"Bossanova!" He grabbed onto his collar. "JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO DO HERE?! YOU ESTABLISHED A BOND WITH YOUR HENCHMEN, DIDN'T YOU?! WHY AREN'T YOU WITH THEM RIGHT NOW?!"

…

"You tell him sir!" Hikaru shouted.

"Yeah!" Kaoru shouted as he punched the air.

"You go Tamaki!" Rin shouted.

"Oh bother," Ren said as he sighed.

…

"AND WHAT ABOUT KICK THE CAN?! YOU REMEMBER THAT? YOU SHOULD BE OUT THERE, ENJOYING LIFE TO THE FULLEST WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHILE YOU'RE STILL YOUNG AND CAN APPRECIATE IT, BEFORE IT ALL SLIPS AWAY, RIGHT UNDERNEATH YOUR NOSE! WHY ARE YOU HARASSING MY HARUHI?!" he screamed as he swung him around.

"AS HER FATHER, I FORBID YOU TO SEE HER!" He let go of his collar and pointed at his forehead. Then it went quiet.

"Wait, what?" Kasanoda asked. "You're telling me, that you're Fujioka's dad?" Tamaki remained silent. "You've got to be kidding me? That's just not possible." Tamaki couldn't move.

…

"Oh no," Hikaru said.

"This is bad," Rin said.

"He's painted the boss into a corner," Kaoru said.

…

"W-Well, we might not be related by blood," Tamaki stuttered.

"Okay? So what, are you married to her mom then?" Tamaki's finger moved away as it went limp.

"No, as a matter of fact, I've never met the woman." He was sweating as he started doubting himself.

"So I guess, you really aren't her father, are you?" Kasanoda asked coldly.

Tamaki went white. He sucked in a lot of air and suddenly blew up like a balloon. Then, he flew into the air as the air was being sucked out of him. He flew all around the room, leaving a trail of smoke behind as he flew.

"WAHH! TAMA-CHAN! I'LL CATCH YOU!" Honey-senpai yelled as he ran and caught the weak and weightless body of Tamaki.

"He's right, ya know. Strictly speaking, I'm not Haruhi's real father. I'm not even Rin's father, either."

"Uh, strictly speaking, or otherwise," the twins said. Tamaki's body grew colder as he started sweating and shuddering.

_All the plants were being sucked into a black hole. The ghost of Tamaki's lifeless body was sucked in as well. As he then flew down, like a comet, and smashed into the earth, causing a giant explosion._

_…_

"Hey, look, he's waking up," Kaoru said.

"I need to sort this out," Tamaki said as he lay on the ground.

"Sort what out, exactly?"

"If supposing, I'm not my Haruhi's daddy after all-"

"We don't have to suppose it boss," Hikaru said.

"Then, how can it be that I find her so utterly adorable?" All of the hosts were in shock. He was admitting it.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Kaoru asked.

"When she's with another man, why do I become so insanely jealous? I felt this way with you Rin, but it seems to have faded once you started dating that shady twin. But, I'm not her father. I have no right to be so protective. No right whatsoever."

"So uh, what is with the whole 'Making Haruhi your wife' thing?" Hikaru asked.

"I know. Daddy's don't typically want to marry their little girls when they're all grown up, do they?"

"Uh no, that's just wrong," Rin said.

"What about keeping her from kissing anyone?" Kaoru asked.

"I only wanted to preserve those precious lips."

"That's…wrong on so many levels," Ren said.

"That's disgusting Tamaki," Rin said.

"Preserve? Really? That's a very interesting choice of words, sir. You think everything is absolutely perfect just the way it is now. And having this family setting will keep it all from changing, right?"

"Hey, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked.

"What are you saying?" Rin asked. Tamaki blinked in confusion.

"I-I don't understand."

_He's an idiot! _Kaoru thought annoyed. _Is he really that oblivious?_

"Actually, he's got a point," Kyoya said. "I mean, you're delusional yes, any half-wit could see that, but who knew you were so…"

"Stupid?" Rin and Ren asked. Kyoya nodded.

"Tama-chan's completely oblivious when it comes to himself," Honey-senpai said. Mori-senpai nodded.

"Kaoru, what did you mean by things changing?" Hikaru asked.

"And why do you have a pumpkin in your hands?" Rin asked.

"Uh, nothing. Just a little theory I have. Which I'm probably completely wrong about. And this," he chucked it away, "Doesn't matter either."

…

"So uh, do you think everything's alright over there?" Kasanoda asked as he looked over the back of the chair. "I mean, I didn't say anything to set him off, did I?"

"Who knows? Although, when I think about it, Tamaki-senpai is like my dad in some ways."

…

Tamaki then chuckled as he sat up. "Did you hear that gentlemen? Apparently, in some ways, I am like Haruhi's father."

"Well, to be more precise, I think what she's saying is that while you and her father share some personality traits, in actuality-"

"I've got it! I've got it now! I'm like a father to her!"

"…And we've lost him again."

"Am I like a father to you too?!" Tamaki asked as he grabbed onto Rin's shoulders.

"Uh, sure," she said.

"Hooray! My darling precious daughter!" He then pulled her into a bear hug and she gasped.

"Oh god! Someone help me!"

…

"Fujioka?" Kasanoda asked. "Do you think, we could do this more often? Because, I was just thinking, cause you entertain girls all day it might, kind of, give you a break from all that. You know, if I came around." Haruhi stared. "I mean, if you want that, that is," he said turning away, blushing.

"Absolutely," she said with a smile. "That way you and I can get more acquainted." Flowers seemed to surround her.

…

"Here it comes!" Renge announced to everyone, hearts in her eyes. All the girls started gushing and gossiping. The hosts turned to watch. Tamaki's eyes widened.

…

Kasanoda's legs were out of control now. He was surprised that he wasn't shaking the table by accident.  
"Fujioka, I-" He stopped himself as he blushed. She looked at him, both intrigued and confused. He then turned away.

_Losing control, _he thought. _Can't hold back feelings. _

His fingers gripped onto his pants as he gulped nervously. "I uh, have something to say." Tamaki's head shot up. Haruhi tilted her head. "…I just wanted to tell you…"

…

Everyone could hear his heart beating. Everyone in the room leaned forward, waiting for what he was going to say. The girls had hearts in their eyes, the boys were getting a good laugh, Tamaki gulped with worry and the hosts simply stared.

…

"I-I just wanted to say…" His heart beat got faster. "…That I…"

"That you're excited to have someone you can relate too, aren't you?" Haruhi asked with a smile.

Everyone went into shock.

"I know I sure am." She stood up. "A conversation like this is a rare thing for me. I only get one of these when I'm talking to Rin. And judging by that relationship, we're going to be great friends."

…

"Uh oh, hung out to dry," Renge said.

"Ouch, that's brutal," Ren said.

"Why did she have to bring me into this?" Rin asked. Kasanoda felt like a heavy object had just dropped on his head.

"Awww!"

"He just got shot down."

"He didn't even get a chance to confess his love."

"The friends' thing? That really stings."

"Poor dude."

"Stuck in the friend zone."

"I bet that rejection haunts him for the rest of his life."

"Aww. The poor guy."

"It's so tragic."

…

Kasanoda's head hurt. He had felt like thousands of heavy pots and pans had smashed him on the head. He stared down at the floor, in shock.

_Okay. Did not think that one through. I guess if she has to live her life as a guy, dating a guy would probably raise some suspicions…So be it then. For Fujioka's sake, there's only one thing to do. _

He clutched onto his pants even tighter.

"Of course the two of us are gonna be friends. Best of friends Forever," he yelled, blushing. Haruhi nodded.

…

"Bossanova!" the twins and Honey-senpai cried.

"Kasanoda!" the girls cried.

"Casanova!" Renge cried. "How lovely! How absolutely beautiful!"

"You've moved us to tears!" All of them than ran over, crowing the poor boy. Haruhi was confused, looking for an answer.

"I'll be your friend!"

"That was breathtaking!"

"Do it again!"

"We want to be friends with you too Bossanova!" Hikaru said.

"We'll play Kick the Can!" Kaoru said.

"I know I'm your senpai, but I'll still be your friend!" Honey-senpai said. "You can even hold Usu-chan!" He, quite literally, shoved Usu-chan right in Kasanoda's face.

"I'll include a special piece on you in Moe Moe, Ouran Diaries, Volume 11," Renge said as he pedestal sunk back into the ground. "Adieu, brave one!"

"Hey, Kasanoda," Rin said as she walked over. The noise had slightly calmed down. "That was really brave of you. And you took it so well. I'm quite impressed," she said with a smile.

"T-Thank you," he said blushing. He had to smile back though.

…

Tamaki sat in the middle of the room, watching the red rose petals fly past him and land on the floor.

"What's the matter Tamaki?" Kyoya asked.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked.

"When I think about how Bossanova must have been feeling, my heart goes out to him."

"That's strange, isn't it? I mean, as Haruhi and Rin's father, you shouldn't feel sympathy for the man who tried to steal one of your precious little girls away, should you?"

A slight breeze went through the room as Tamaki sighed.

"HYPER STARLIGHT KICK!" Tamaki screamed as he kicked the can into the air. The guests ran, laughing, having the time of their lives. They were all outside in the field, playing a legendary game of Kick the Can. The hosts started running as well. Kasanoda smiled as he set the can down in front of a tree.

"1…2…3…4…"

…

"Quickly, I know where we can go," Kaoru said as he dragged the two along with him.

"Hold on. Where the hell are we going?" Rin asked.

"Just follow me," he said. Hikaru and Rin looked at each other, before shrugging.

"You better have a good spot Kaoru," Hikaru said.

"Don't worry, it'll work."

"If we lose, it's all your fault," the two said in unison.

"I didn't know you two could talk in sync," Kaoru said, laughing.

"Neither did we." All three of them laughed as they ran.

…

"Quick. In here," Tamaki said as he held Haruhi's hand. It was the same spot they had hidden the first time they played. It was inside the pavilion, surrounded by the hedge maze and the beautiful red roses.

…

"So, how's it going with you and Rin? Have you come to at least tolerate each other?" Ren asked as he walked beside Kyoya.

"At the moment. I guess I do have to thank you for pushing me. If you didn't, we would still be at terrible terms, and what would that solve?" Kyoya asked with a smirk.

"Yeah. What would that solve?"

…

Somehow, all three groups ended up in the same spot.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Tamaki asked. "This hiding place is for only Haruhi and me, got it?"

"What kind of rule is that?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah. And for that matter, why do you and Haruhi always have to hide in the first place?" Hikaru asked.

"Idiot! It's perfectly natural for a father to hide with his daughter!"

"Some might disagree," Kyoya said.

"A lot of people would disagree," Ren said.

"Yeah boss, it's kind of weird," Hikaru said.

"Why do you always hide with Rin?" Tamaki asked.

"Because he can. And he doesn't have to drag me around just to hang out with him, unlike someone," Rin said.

"WHAT?! I do not drag her around!"

"Shhh. Would all of you just be quiet?" Haruhi said.

…

"So, Hika-chan and Rin-chan still don't know how strong their feelings are for each other, even though they're already in a relationship? And even though it's clear to the rest of us how Tama-chan feels, he's still completely in the dark about it himself?" Honey-senpai asked as he his cousin sat in a tree.

"Yeah."

"Then what about Kao-chan and Kyo-chan? Between the two of them, I bet there's someone even more oblivious than Tama-chan is…Considering that, I wonder if something really is big is gonna happen before we graduate."

"You never know."

…

"Well, for starters, why even Kick the Can?" Kyoya asked.

"You're really gonna question the logic of a game meant for pre-schoolers?" Rin asked.

"When did you become so curious?" Ren asked.

"Well, it just seems strange."

"Hey. Stop pushing so hard," Haruhi said.

"Get your hands off my Haruhi!" Tamaki said.

"She doesn't belong to you," the twins said.

"Oh yeah, if not me than who?"

"I do not belong to anybody!"

* * *

**Authors Note: **Wow. This was a strange episode to write. When I watched it, I thought there wasn't going to be enough to write a chapter about. Luckily though, there was. And now I'm happy.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 – The Hayashi's Love and Tragedy!**

The pink doors opened and a bright filled the hallway, red rose petals flowing through the air. Inside the room, were eight attractive guys and one cute girl, standing in the middle of the room.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," the blonde girl said as she smiled, yellow roses with red tips surrounding her, "To the Ouran Host Club."

_THE SUOH HOUSE, NINE YEARS AGO_

_The young blonde, no more than the age of six, walked down the hallway. _

_She had her hair in long pigtails and had on a light green spotted dress, with the top being white, a brown belt separating the two and white sandals. _

_She walked up to the door and heard beautiful piano music playing. Rin knocked on the door and her brother opened it. He was nine years old, and had a goofy looking smile on his face. She walked into the room and saw the beautiful blonde haired woman sitting in bed, coughing every so often. _

_She was watching her seven year old son, playing the piano. Rin walked up to the woman and gave her a hug. A smile appeared on the woman's face as she hugged her back._

_"Guess what," Rin whispered with a smile._

_"What is it darling?" the woman asked sweetly._

_"Tamaki-kun is going to teach me the piano! Soon, we'll be playing together! Wouldn't that be nice?"_

_"Yes dear, of course it would." Tamaki finished his song and stood up. He turned around and smiled._

_"Rin-chan! There you are!" he said as he rushed over and hugged her. "Are you ready to start?" Rin looked over at the woman who smiled. She nodded her head and Rin looked back._

_"Of course I am!" Ren looked at the woman with a smile. The two watched as the two sat down at the piano and he played a note._

_"Can you play that?" Tamaki asked. She nodded as she pressed the same note. He continued doing this, until she was able to identify all the notes based on their sound. _

_Ren sat on the bed with the woman, him telling her stories about the day he had at school. She'd laugh every so often, trying her best to hide her coughing and nauseous feelings in her stomach._

_…_

_About a week later, she was an amateur piano player. While Tamaki would play the more complex songs, she would sing along with him. She had that it would help her remember how to play them better if she sang along with them. _

_Even at a young age, she had a beautiful voice. Though, she was inexperienced and wasn't perfect, she was still above average for her age. So, after school, Tamaki would teach her piano and she would get singing lessons from a professional French singer. _

_Ren would sit in the background, always sharing his stories. Tamaki's mother would smile, sometimes her cheeks would hurt from how huge her smile was as she watched the three children she loved the most grow up. _

_While Rin was off at singing, Tamaki would sometimes hang around the music club at his school. Ren would be off with his elementary school's many sport teams. But once, he did manage to catch her singing lessons, and he was blown away. _

_He listened as the teacher and student harmonized a song, and they sounded amazing together. She had on a huge smile._

_…_

"Ren-senpai? You're staring off into space," Haruhi said as she walked over with a tray of cakes and a pot of tea.

"Oh, I-I was?" he asked, embarrassed.

"Yeah. Something up?"

"Just remembering some things, no need to worry."

"They must be pretty painful memories. I only know the basics of what happened, only from what Rin has told me, but I still don't know much about her. I'm sorry to ask, but, could you enlighten me on some things?" Haruhi asked as she sat down.

He looked over at his sister who was entertaining some of the guests. "Sure, why not?"

_THE HAYASHI HOUSE, SEVEN YEARS AGO_

_Rin was about eight years old, making her brother eleven. The two had come from elementary school to hear some dreadful news. Their mother had died in a car accident. _

_Rin had broken down as the police came to the door. She wouldn't stop screaming and crying, no matter how hard Ren tried to calm her down. They're mother was the last remaining person they had living, or, that's what they thought. _

_Their father was off, fighting in the war. They were never sure if he was ever going to come back. When they had heard the news, Tamaki and his ill mother rushed over to their house. _

_They took them in and made them part of the Suoh family. On the way to the house, they made sure to travel slowly, as to not worsen his mother's unknown condition. _

_…_

_Rin still was having a mental breakdown. It was so bad that they had to tie her down in the bed to make sure she didn't harm herself or anyone around her._

_"Mother, will she be alright?" Tamaki asked._

_"Yes dear, she will," she said as she went back into bed._

_"And what about Ren?"_

_"He will too. They both just need some time alone." Tamaki nodded. He then spotted the piano. A smile went to his face as he sat down and began playing a song that both the siblings loved. They could hear the music from their rooms. _

_Rin seemed to calm down slightly at the sound, and Ren smiled, tears in his eyes._

_…_

"Oh wow, I had no idea," Haruhi said as she looked down. "I know it's a little late, but I'm sorry for your loss."

"As am I for you. But, his mother did take care of us as best as she could. Even though our mother did die, and though we never wanted her to be replaced, she acted like a mother to us. She was our female role model that Rin needed."

_THE SUOH HOUSE, SIX YEARS AGO_

_"Rin dear, thank you very much," his mother said. Rin had given her some food that the nine year old had prepared. Rin smiled._

_"Well, thank you for teaching me. I know how ill you are and how hard it must be to even get out of bed, but I'm grateful for how much you appreciate us to still get up and take care of us." Tamaki's mother smiled. She rubbed up and down Rin's arms._

_"Of course. I am a mother. I have to do my best to take care of my children." She then rubbed Rin's cheek softly. At the mention of her mother, Rin felt tears in her eyes. _

_She still hadn't gotten over the fact that her mother was gone. When she saw this, his mother pulled her into a gentle hug and let her cry in her shoulder._

_…_

Tamaki walked over, leaning over the couch.

"Rin's a very strong girl. I had barely ever seen her cry before that day," he said and Ren turned around. "She always seemed happy. But, I had never seen her as happy as she was five years ago." Ren nodded, knowing what he was referring too.

_THE SUOH HOUSE, FIVE YEARS AGO_

_"Rin, Ren. There's someone here to see you," Tamaki said as he walked up the stairs._

_"Coming!" the siblings called as they ran down the stairs._

_"Geez, slow down you two!"_

_"Sorry Tamaki," Rin said. Ren slowed down as he reached the front door. He opened it, wondering who could be behind it. When he saw who it was, he gasped. He was not ready for that. His hand covered his mouth. He seemed like he had forgotten how to breathe. He could tell that Rin had the same reaction._

_"I'm home," the man said. Suddenly, Rin charged at the man and pulled him into a deep hug. He quickly responded by hugging her back. "My how you've grown."_

_"We thought we'd lost you," Rin said with a huge smile on her face, realising how much she had missed him. The man looked up at Ren and smiled._

_"How about giving your father a hug?" Ren wasted no time at this. He ran at his father and hugged him._

_"I-I missed you," he stuttered as he started crying._

_"I missed you more. Both of you."_

_…_

"She was so happy that her father came from the war. For the several weeks after that, she became her cheery self when she was about three years old. A smile never left her face," Tamaki said. Haruhi smiled.

"She must have been so happy," Haruhi said.

"Yeah, she was. Until, the incident happened," Ren said.

"The incident?"

_THE HAYASHI HOUSE, FOUR YEARS AGO_

_The two siblings were supposed to be sleeping. It was in the middle of the night and they could the crickets outside their house._

_"So, truth or dare?" Rin asked._

_"Really? We're gonna play this stupid game?" Ren asked. He was in his angst years, as a teenager. Rin was only twelve years old._

_"Oh come on, it's not that bad."_

_"Trust me, it is."_

_"This is it! No going back!" they heard a voice scream._

_"That was dad," Rin said as they stood up and rushed down the stairs. She screamed as she heard a gunshot. She stopped dead in her tracks while Ren ran ahead. _

_He stopped once he saw it. It was their dad, lying dead on the floor, a bullet wound to the head._

_"What happened?" Rin asked trembling._

_"Don't come down those steps!" Ren commanded but it was too late. She screamed as she saw it. She fell to her knees, trying to erase it from her head, like it didn't happen._

_"This isn't happening! This isn't real!" Rin screamed. Ren rushed and called the police, tears in his eyes._

_…_

"Our father committed suicide. The memories of war were affecting his life, he couldn't do anything without being reminded of them. So, instead of harming us, he harmed himself, and took his own life. And ever since she heard that gunshot, she's been terrified of loud sudden noises. They send her into panic attacks where she screams and cries until she can't even speak."

…

_Rin sat on the steps of her house, crying her eyes out. This wasn't the way life was supposed to happen. She clutched her hand to her chest, feeling her breath shorten. _

_The police were carrying her father's body in a black bag, strolling it down the street, for all to see. They slammed the door shut and she flinched. Anything loud made her want to burst into tears and scream. _

_Ren came up behind her and hugged her, taking her by surprise._

_"It's going to be alright," he whispered._

_"How? How is it going to be alright? He's dead! Both our parents are dead! Where the hell will we go?"_

_"We can go back to the Suoh's. They'll take good care of us. I promise."_

_"But they can't. His mother is too sick to take care of us completely. She's gotten worse than before."_

_"…Then we go to an orphanage, or to a foster home. It doesn't matter where we go, I know we'll be safe. I promise you that nothing will happen to you."_

_…_

"I thought that I was telling the truth. And I was. We went to the orphanage and soon got adopted by a wealthy family, who said they couldn't have kids of their own and wanted some."

…

_"Alright, this is going to be your new home," the wife said as she opened the door. The two looked in awe because of how big it was. It was a mansion. "Come on you two, put your stuff up upstairs and go exploring." _

_The two looked at each other with a smile before they ran up the stairs. They chucked their luggage down and raced around the house. For some reason, they felt like five year olds again. They chased each other around the house, laughing and having the time of their life. _

_The wife watched the two with a smile on her face. She looked at her husband. "These kids are gonna be great." The husband nodded, as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder._

_…_

_The two were struggling. The wife and husband were losing money. Their jobs didn't pay them enough, and having children in the house was expensive. Even though the wife loved those children like they were her on, they couldn't support them. They told the two children they're situation and they understood. _

_They had only spent a few months together, but they had grown to be found of their foster parents. They were given back to the orphanage, but were adopted rather quickly._

_…_

"We thought this would be our lucky break. That we would finally find a family that could love us and support us."

…

_"Now, this is important. We know all the 'hardships' you two have faced, but, it will be no excuse for you slacking off," the old woman said as she stood in front of them. They nodded._

_"Don't worry," Ren said._

_"We don't plan on doing that," Rin said._

_"Do not speak back to me young lady!" The two siblings looked at each other, confused._

_"Alright, now go wash up and go to bed," the old man said glaring. The two nodded before they went down the hallway._

_…_

_"I hope they're not going to be this strict all the time," Rin said as she washed her hands._

_"Don't worry. Maybe they were just imposing rules. Maybe they'll ease up after a while," Ren said. Rin nodded, though she didn't really believe him. He didn't even believe himself._

_…_

_"Young lady! What do you think you're doing?!" the old woman asked as Rin closed the front door._

_"Sorry, I had after school activities," Rin said as she chucked her shoes off. What she didn't expect, was a slap in the face._

_"That is no excuse for coming home so late. You will go hungry without dinner. And that is final." Rin looked at her in shock as the old woman walked away and back into the kitchen. Ren ran down the stairs, wondering what had happened._

_"What happened? Are you alright?" he asked as he went towards her. She shook her head._

_"She just slapped me."_

_"What?"_

_"You heard me. I need to go clear my head." She then walked up the stairs, shutting the door behind her._

_…_

"She wasn't use to physical abuse. No one had ever hit her before, not even her friends playfully. She didn't know what to do. It kept happening. And then, they sent me away."

_THE HAYASHI HOUSE, TWO YEARS AGO_

_"Ren, pack your bags. It's time." He nodded, wiping his eyes. His sister was in middle school. Why they had made sure for her not to know, was something he couldn't answer._

_"Do I at least get to say goodbye?"_

_"You can't. Your flight is in two hours and the drive to the airport takes an hour. You don't have time," the old man said as he started walking to the front door. _

_Ren wanted to leave a note behind, telling her the truth, but they would find out. And at that moment, he knew why they were adopted. They wanted someone with such smarts, that they could send them to different countries to promote their family's company. But, it was too late. _

_The old man pushed him out the front door and into the car. He closed the door and started driving away. Ren started crying, hoping that one day he would see his sister again._

_…_

"And I did. And I was so glad. There's defiantly more to the story, but I never found out the whole truth. If you do want to know what happened after that, you have to ask her," Ren said as he stood up. He waved goodbye as he walked over to his guests.

Haruhi was in shock. All this had happened, and she was still cheery and happy about life. It was amazing. And the story wasn't even over yet. Haruhi stood up.

"Excuse me," she said to Tamaki as she walked over to Rin.

"Hello Haruhi, what's up?" Rin asked as she stood up.

"Could we go somewhere private? I have some things to ask you," Haruhi said. Rin nodded.

"Sure," she said as the two walked out of the music room.

"Tamaki? Where are they going?" a guest asked.

"Oh, don't worry. They're going to get more food," he said with a smile. The girl nodded as she turned to look the other way. Tamaki took a big sigh of relief. At least she believed it.

_ONE YEAR AGO_

_She sighed as she and her friends, Zoe and Jade, walked down the streets. It was in the middle of a beautiful and warm summer. The school term had almost finished. _

_She, Zoe and Jade were all walking to the bus stop as that was the only type of transportation around the area. They all stopped though when they noticed a black haired boy with glasses standing there, reading a book. Zoe and Jade both smirked as they looked at each other, blushing. _

_They seemed to be able to read each other's minds._

_"Whoa, total hottie alert!" Zoe squealed. She then grabbed tightly onto Rin's arm._

_"I know right," Jade said as she fanned herself off._

_"If you're so interested, why don't you go talk to him?" Rin suggested. She knew they didn't have the guts. Zoe sharply turned her head, blushing. Jade shook her head._

_"Why us?" she asked._

_"He would be perfect for you~!" Zoe said._

_"How the hell can you pair two people who haven't even spoken to each other before?" Rin asked._

_"You do not want to know," Jade said._

_"Whatever. Let's just act like normal people and wait for the bus."_

_…_

"So, you and Kyoya first met in Paris?" Haruhi asked.

"I know. How cliché can you possibly get?" Rin asked, laughing.

"Still, it is kind of cute though."

"Whatever. Can I continue then?" Haruhi nodded.

…

_The three girls stood somewhat close to him as there was no other room. It was an awkward silence._

_"Excuse me, are you new around here?" Rin asked. The boy turned to face her. Her friends blushed. Even though Rin didn't want to admit it, he was attractive. She felt a nudge from Zoe, pushing her closer. Rin sent her a death glare._

_"Not necessarily. I'm only here for my father's business trip. I won't be staying long," he stated in French._

_"Interesting. I've never recognized that book before. What is it?"_

_"Of course you wouldn't. It's from Japan."_

_"You're from Japan?" He nodded. "How the hell did you learn how to speak French so quickly?"_

_"My father told me a while before this that we were coming here. I decided to learn the language so I could at least communicate with people while I'm here."_

_"Interesting," she mumbled to herself. Her friends were smirking, making kissy faces and drawing hearts in the air with their fingers. It seemed to take forever before the bus finally arrived. It was actually only five minutes. He sighed as he closed his book, picking up his bag._

_"About time," he mumbled as he stepped onto the bus. The three girls followed._

_…_

"From there on, we became friends. And then, I was forced to leave my friends behind and come here, to Japan. Of course, once my step-parents found that the Ootori's were travelling back around the same time, they booked the same flight as them to try and seem important. Over in Japan, he helped me learn the language and after a while, we started dating. But then, it all come tumbling down, and my world collapsed once again."

…

_She sat down on the park bench, waiting. Her brother had warned not to come, but he didn't say why. She didn't give him time too. When he tried too, she was out the door. She checked her phone. She was a bit early. She sighed._

_"So, you did show up?" a voice asked. She looked up._

_"Of course I did."_

_"Listen, there's a certain reason why I called you out here."_

_"…What do you mean?"_

_"There's something I need to tell you." She knew what was coming._

_"You, you can't be saying-"_

_"It's over. I can't deal with you anymore." Those simple words made her world collapse around her._

_"W-Why?" she asked in disbelief._

_"Have you ever wondered why I wouldn't let you show affection to me?" he asked._

_"Of course I have."_

_"Well, the reason is simple. I've never liked you. I got dared by my 'classmates', as you'd call them, to go out with the richest girl I could find. And that girl, just happened to be you. But, your family is losing money. You're not the richest girl I've ever seen anymore. So, I have no use for you."_

_"…Y-You….You asshole!" she screamed._

_"I've been called worse." She smacked him._

_"I don't care what kind of crap you've been called! How could you think you could treat me like this? How could you lead me on for this long? Making me think I could finally have a bit of happiness? You're such a shallow, selfish, self-centred jerk. I hope your daddy's proud of you." _

_She then ran away, tears falling from her eyes. Without her brother, she had no one to turn too._

_…_

"And then my step-parents transferred me here, to Ouran Academy. They let me visit my friends from France, and then I started school here. And, that's everything. Everything else you know, because, well, you've been there." Haruhi nodded.

"Rin…I'm so sorry, about everything."

"There's no need for you to be sorry. You did nothing wrong. Don't worry Haruhi, I'll be alright. I've handled much worse stuff than this before."

"But, I thought you hated middle school. You made it seem like your best years…I don't understand."

"Well, I didn't know you wanted to hear that part…" She then pulled out a notebook. "Here, read it." Rin then stood up and walked away, leaving Haruhi outside with the notebook.

_MALIRIA'S MIDDLE SCHOOL, TWO YEARS AGO_

_"Loser!"_

_"God. She's too perfect for her own good."_

_"She's trying way too hard."_

_"She's such a smartass."_

_"She's such a skank. Did you see her flirting with my boyfriend?"_

_"She thinks she can get every guy she wants."_

_"Just because she's pretty."_

_"She's not even that good looking."_

_"What a loser!"_

_…_

_'I was bullied, for looking too perfect. Girls hated me because of my looks, and how some guys wanted to be with me. But, not every guy liked me. Neither do they all now. But, they were all in a delusion that they did. I was luckily never physically harmed, but I became self-conscious. People kept telling me lies about myself, saying I was ugly, disgusting, fat, etc. I ignored it. _

_But how long can you actually go ignoring it, without some of it seeping in? I put up with it for a year, before it affected me. I didn't like how I looked, but I never did anything to change it. I didn't hate myself or anything, I just didn't like what I saw. I was something too good to be true. A lie. And I was back then.'_

_…_

_"Rin, you better stay away from my man."_

_"If you don't, there will be consequences."_

_"If you want to be a little skank, roaming around the halls wearing clothing like that, boys are gonna stare. And if they do, we know who to blame."_

_"Just go away."_

_"You're such an attention seeker!"_

_"Oh really? At least I'm not ganging up on one girl, who's done nothing wrong to you," Rin snapped. _

_…_

_'I finally got sick of it. A few months after it all started, I toughened up. I started to defend myself. I felt better. I actually started to like school, and the people there. I met my friends, Zoe and Jade, got along with guys who didn't want me as their property, something they could brag about, and I got good grades. My life seemed to on an uphill spike, going the way I wanted it too. I felt, complete.'_

_…_

Haruhi sighed, a smile on her face. She flicked through the notebook, noting that Rin had written down most of their adventures in there. Sometimes, there was a page with her feelings. Some were cute, some were dramatic, and some made Haruhi's heart skip a beat.

…

_'What can I say about him? He changed my life. I was the new girl, not knowing many people, not sure how people were going to treat me. When I stumbled upon the Host Club, I was confused. I had reunited with my childhood friend and met a painful memory of my past. But, there were five other people who helped me through it._

_Honey-senpai, an eighteen year old boy who looks like he could be in his late years of elementary school. He loves cakes, sweets, and his plushie, Usu-chan. But, he can kick some serious ass when needed. He's so cute, it's painful._

_Mori-senpai, an eighteen year old who is Honey-senpai's cousin. He's very tall and is protective over people who he is close to. He feels the need to protect Honey-senpai, Haruhi and myself quite often and he can kick ass. But, he doesn't say much._

_Haruhi, a fifteen year old girl, disguised as a boy. She's a commoner, as they call it, but she's got more class than most of them. She and I get along really well and she's one of the only people I feel comfortable talking to._

_Kyoya, a seventeen year old who is known as the Shadow King, and he rightfully deserves that name. He is my ex-boyfriend and we've only recently gotten on good terms. He runs the club and manages the money, which he is stingy with._

_Tamaki, a seventeen year old who likes to call himself King. He was my childhood friend back when I was in France and he taught me how to play piano. He's like a father to me that I always wanted, and I know he love to hear me say that out loud._

_Kaoru, a fifteen year old who is the twin brother of Hikaru. He is very much like a brother to me. We both think of each other as brother and sister and we both care deeply about his brother, in different ways of course._

_Hikaru, a fifteen year old who is the twin brother of Kaoru. He is my boyfriend and now that I've met him, I couldn't imagine my life any other way. It seems so strange that the Hitachiin family before, but I'm glad I met him. I do love him.'_

_…_

Haruhi smiled. She decided to go back into the club and gave each of them the notebook for them to read that page. They were all confused as to why they had to read it, but once they did, they knew why. When Rin walked into the room, Tamaki rushed up and hugged her. "What the hell Tamaki?!"

"So I'm like a father to you?" he asked with a gigantic smile.

"Haruhi! You let them read it?!" Rin yelled.

"Sorry. I thought that they should know," Haruhi said. Rin sighed. As she escaped from Tamaki's hug, she noticed that Hikaru was staring at her. The host club members all looked at each other and nodded. Ren pushed them all out of the room.

"So, you love me huh?" Hikaru asked with a smirk.

"Oh god! You read that?" She then hid her face in her hands. He chuckled as he lifted her hands off of her face.

"You're way too perfect," he said as he bent down and kissed her.

…

The members watched with a smile.

"See, I told you they loved each other," Tamaki said.

"When the hell did you say that?" Ren asked.

"You're such a liar," Haruhi said.

"You're making things up now," Kaoru said.

…

"So uh, what do you think?" Rin asked blushing.

"You silly little girl," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "How could I not love you?" he whispered.

"You sly little devil," Rin said as she kissed him again.

_THE HITACHIIN HOUSE, FIVE DAYS AGO_

_She sat crossed legged on the floor, reading her history book. She had white headphones in and was listening to some popular music. She was occasionally writing down notes which she needed for her history paper. _

_Because of this, she couldn't hear the footsteps walk behind her. The person her sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled as she rested her head against his shoulder. _

_She felt him kiss her on the cheek and down her neck. "Hey, since you're here, can you hand me on of them?" she asked._

_"You can't get them yourself?" he asked._

_"Well, I could, but you're closer." He sighed, rolling his eyes as he handed her the box of Pocky. She took one and started eating it._

_"You're eating that wrong," he said as he moved away and sat in front of her. She raised an eyebrow._

_"…But I ate it," she said. He crossed his legs._

_"I guess I'll have to show you how." He took out another Pocky stick and held it in front of her.__"Bite," he said. _

_She shrugged as she took the biscuit end in her mouth. He smirked as he bit into the chocolate end. She flinched back, both confused and embarrassed._

_"What the hell?" she asked._

_"It's called the Pocky Game. I'm guessing they don't have this in France?" he asked smirking._

_"We don't even have Pocky in France."_

_"That sucks. But, the Pocky game is easy. All you have to do, is get to the middle before me."_

_"So, it's like a competition?" she asked. He nodded. "Fine then. I'm gonna win."_

_"We'll see about that." She took out another one and bit into it. He did the same. The two started until she reached the middle quicker and took the rest of the treat. She stood up._

_"Ha! I win! First time playing and I am the champion!" She squealed as he pulled her down into his lap._

_"Rematch," he said. They began the game again. This time, neither of them wanted to lose. Even though she got the last piece before he reached the middle, he smirked, leaning forward and captured her lips with his. She kissed him back. _

_But then she gasped as she pulled him away.__"Crap."_

_"What?"_

_"I need to finish my homework," she said as she grabbed her book. He grabbed it out of her hand and chucked it across the room._

_"Really?"_

_"Well?" he asked with a smirk. She sighed._

_"I guess summer school won't be that bad," she said before she kissed him deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck, his wrapped around her waist._

_…_

"You know, I never thought I'd experience such happiness with a club based on making girls squeal and blush. At first, I thought it was a weird and useless kind of idea, but then, after spending time with them, I noticed how lucky I was to have stumbled onto this club. If I had never met Haruhi that day, I never would have found the club that holds my most precious friends and memories.

"I couldn't imagine my life without them. And, my brother came back. My life is complete. I have a loving family, though not mine, taking care of me, a loving brother, wonderful friends and an amazing boyfriend. My life is finally complete."

* * *

**Authors Note: **This chapter was very hard to write. I had no idea how to get across her life story. I decided to do it this way because it was easy to write and it made the most sense. I know this chapter was a mixture of sweetness and sadness. I feel like it's a perfect combination to make a powerful chapter.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 – The Host Club Declares Dissolution!**

**SCHOOL FAIR (43RD OURAN FAIR)**

Everyone was outside, moving things around or planning. It was the morning before the school fair and all the students and workers were preparing for the opening ceremony.

"Oh, and those go in the main building's central salon," Kaoru said to one of the workers.

"Alright," he said as he started walking away.

"Hey! Be careful with that!" Kaoru shouted over at someone else and walked away.

"Uh, aren't school fairs meant to be, I don't know, more about, students showcasing the unique things they've made by hand?" Haruhi asked Kyoya as they stood back and watched.

"Perhaps for a mere average school yes," Kyoya said, shutting his book. "But at Ouran, the emphasis is on planning and leadership skills. Keep in mind, most of our students are being groomed in a position of leadership, so they're supposed to showcase their talent and mobility, not arts and crafts."

"Interesting. My school never did anything to this extreme," Ren said as he walked over, his hands in his pockets.

"Ren-senpai? What are you doing here?" Haruhi asked.

"Well, even though I'm not enrolled in the school, the chairman has given me the pleasure of coming and watching the Ouran Fair, and of course, showcasing the Host Club."

"Uh huh," Haruhi stated, understanding.

They heard the sound of a horse clopping it's hooves on the ground and they turned around. There was Hikaru, driving a carriage with horses, Mori-senpai sitting next to him, holding onto the other reins.

"Nicely done," Mori-senpai said. "You handle the rains like a pro."

"Haru-chan~!" Honey-senpai called, making Usu-chan wave.

"Climb on board," Tamaki said. "We're rehearsing for the big Ouran Fair parade!"

"Ta-da~!" Tamaki and Honey-senpai sung.

"Come on board you guys," Rin said as she stepped off. Haruhi, Kyoya and Ren looked at each other before they sighed.

…

"Oh wow! It's right out of a fairy tale!"

"So romantic~!"

"Can I have a ride too?"

Those were some of the things the girls were saying as they watched the horse carriage drive by, all of the members sitting on it. Red rose petals seemed to fly around them.

"Hey, you know, you've gotten pretty good at this," Kaoru said.

"There's nothing to it. You should have practised it with me earlier," Hikaru said as he turned to face him.

"Well, just because we're twins doesn't mean we're both good drivers."

"It's kind of neat having us all together like this for a carriage ride, huh?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Yeah, whatever," Haruhi mumbled.

"You couldn't be at least a little excited?" Rin asked. Haruhi shrugged her shoulders as Tamaki smiled.

"Oh, and for the actual parade tomorrow, we'll all be in eighteenth century French costumes," he said. "Your outfit will be especially opulent Haruhi, along with Rin's."

"Oh, wonderful," she said sarcastically.

"Come on! You got be a bit excited!" Rin said, nudging her.

"Not necessarily." The clock tower rung, signifying three o'clock.

"The fair's opening ceremony has started," Tamaki said.

"Huh?" Haruhi asked as he winked.

"Let's make this one, the best one yet." Haruhi smiled.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

**OURAN FAIR OPENING CEREMONY**

The orchestra started playing and the people started dancing. They were all dressed elegantly, wearing formal outfits. Red rose petals flew around them, making it even more elegant. They were outside in the Ouran Garden, a great place for dancing.

Tohru - who had just returned from England - was dancing with his fiancé – Kanako - who was blushing with a goofy smile.

A nervous Kazukiyo - Class 1-A's President - was dancing with the girl he loved so much, Momoka - Class 1-A's Vice President.

Even Kasanoda was getting attention from the ladies, them gushing over him in a tuxedo. He just stood there, blushing and slightly shaking. Some of the men from his Syndicate hid in the bushes, secretly cheering him on.

**CENTRAL BUILDING SALON**

Haruhi walked around, wearing a dress shirt, a vest and her school pants, pushing around the cart full of sweets. Today, the Host Club was open to the general public, much to her delight.

…

_"Now remember, as part of the fair, the Host Club will be open to parents for the next two days, which means we will need to be even more charming than usual," Tamaki said. "Let's get out there and show our honoured guests the time of their lives!"_

_…_

"Isn't it wonderful mother? This is the Host Club I've told you so much about," a girl said to her mother. "What do you think?"

"Well, actually, I cannot say I approve of this. I think these young men and the young lady just like being fawned over."

"You are quite right madam," Tamaki said and the woman gasped. "We are such shameful selfish creatures." He then grabbed her hand and moved close to her face. "All of this, is mere pretence. We're spending such time with lovely ladies such as yourself. It is a weakness, forgive me."

"Oh, what an enchanting club," the mother said.

"What did I tell you~!"

"You're too kind. Both of you."

"Good grief," Haruhi commented.

…

"Here, your buttons are mismatched," Mori-senpai said as he bent down. "Allow me." He then started to match the buttons up.

Thank you very much," Honey-senpai said giggling.

"How adorable," one of the mothers said.

"They must be brothers. The older one is so thoughtful."

"Wrong!" Haruhi wanted to shout at them.

…

"But you see, our mother and father were both so busy, that they had no time for the two of us," Hikaru said.

"We played by ourselves. Which is why we're so lonely now," Kaoru said and the mother and daughter started to cry.

"Oh you poor things," they both said.

"You have got to be kidding me," Haruhi sighed.

…

Rin had a light pink dress, which reached her knees, and white high heels.

"Good day gentlemen, are you enjoying the festivities?" she asked. The father looked up and then blushed.

"You see. That's the girl," the son whispered.

"I could tell. You weren't lying when you said she was beautiful," the father whispered back, before clearing his throat. "Certainly. It's surprising that there's a girl in such a place."

"Oh yes, it is difficult. But, these boys are so kind and caring, I feel like it's my second family." She smiled.

"She's so cute~!" the son exclaimed and she giggled.

"Really? Why do I even bother?" Haruhi asked herself.

…

"My, aren't you a young man? You don't look like you're in high school though," a mother said, looking him up and down.

"O-Oh, I'm a U-University student. I-I'm here because of my younger sister, t-the blonde over there," Ren said as he pointed to her.

"Oh my. Good looks do run in the family."

"It's so sweet of you to care for your sister that much!" the daughter said with a blush.

"T-Thank you, I a-appreciate it."

"Wow, that's the only normal one so far," Haruhi said.

…

"One of our daily goals here at the Host Club is to evoke different time periods. So we make it a point to thoroughly research a wide variety of historical traditions in interests of keeping authenticity," Kyoya said and the people around him gasped.

"That's quite impressive," a man said.

"Yeah, quite impressively political," Haruhi groaned.

…

"This is a bit too much, even by our standards," Haruhi said to Kyoya as he typed away on his computer. "You could buy a whole country with all the money we're wasting."

"Nonsense!" Tamaki said as he popped up and touched her shoulder. "That's not the Host Club at all and you know it. Happiness is above any price tag." He gave a thumbs up.

"Besides, think of all the exposure we'll-" He then screamed as Haruhi pinched his hand. He removed it, holding it in pain.

"No, Haruhi's right. You have overshot the budget."

"Kyoya…"

"The use of the salon notwithstanding, you had a period style carriage shipped all the way in from France," he said, closing his laptop. "Must you always be so capricious? You're impulsiveness overwhelms my accounting skills."

"Typical," Haruhi said as she walked away.

"Whatever! Capricious is just another word for creative! I'll have you know that the whims of the Host Club King are the stuff of dreams! No price is too high!" Tamaki screamed.

…

A girl with long red hair and blue eyes watched the scene play out, all through her little Lorgnettes. She looked away, staring at them both confused and intrigued.

"Welcome," Haruhi said. The girl turned. "Can I get anything for you? Maybe something sweet?"

"Oh, sorry to bother you, but would you like some tea?" Rin asked, holding a pot of tea.

"Of course," the girl said with a think French accent. Rin nodded, pouring her a refill. "So, you two are with the Host Club?"

"Yes," they both said.

"Interesting," the girl said.

…

"Father!" Tamaki called. They all turned around. At the door, stood a man in a white tuxedo with brown hair, brown eyes and a purple tie. Tamaki rushed over to him.

"You will not address me as father. The name is all too familiar. You will address me properly as Chairman," the man said.

"Ah, very good, welcome sir," Kyoya said as he walked over. "I'll show you to your seat." The two then walked down the room, over to the other side. Haruhi watched. The girl had gotten out her Lorgnette and was watching through it. Haruhi turned around and the girl had removed them and was looking the other way.

"Thank you."

…

Tamaki hung onto the chandelier as he watched Kyoya and his father talk. "Kyoya my boy, if not for your being here, I'm sure this club would be in shambles. My son must give you no end of trouble."

His assistant noticed Tamaki and looked at him with both concern and annoyance.

"On the contrary sir," Kyoya said. "Our son's vision is what keeps us going." The two looked up as they heard the sound of heels.

"Chairman, it's nice to see you again," Rin said as she curtsied.

"Kyoya, could you please excuse us?" the chairman asked.

"Of course," he said bowing before he left.

…

"Miss Rin Hayashi, it has been quite a long time."

"I couldn't agree more sir." He patted a spot next to him on the couch. She nodded as she sat down.

"It's been a while since you were a small, cheery little girl back in France. My, how you've grown," he said as he looked her up and down. "You've grown into a beautiful young lady."

"Why thank you sir."

"I wish I could there to help during your times of hardship, by I wasn't allowed. Certain things made me stay here, unable to go anywhere. I am truly sorry for your loss."

"It's quite alright."

"You know, ever since you've moved here, Tamaki has told me a great deal about you. But don't worry, he talked much more about Fujioka, but that's to be expected." She nodded. "He truly admires you for your hard work and determination, always trying to see the good side, though you do have your breakdowns. You're a very strong little girl, Miss Hayashi."

"You're words are too kind."

…

"Chairman, it's an honour to meet you again," Ren said as he stood in front of them, bowing.

"My, my. Mr Ren Hayashi, the young boy has now grown into a full University Student. I'm sure you two have heard this quite a lot, but good looks do run in the family." The two looked at each other, before they laughed.

"I'm very glad that you accepted my sister here."

"How could I not? You showed an excellent intelligence that I had to let her in. Plus, she was my son's childhood friend. I wanted you to reunite with him once again."

"But sir, I only went here for my final year. It was a sudden change."

"Trust me, I know the situation. You were sent to America, then were transferred over to Japan for your final year of schooling, before being transferred back to America for your first year of University. It must have been rough."

"It was. Learning languages is quite difficult, especially English."

"I completely understand."

…

After a while the chairman smirked. "Rin, could you go and fetch someone for me?"

She nodded. "Of course sir." He then whispered something into her ear. "Haruhi! You're needed!"

"WHAT?!" Tamaki screamed as he fell from the chandelier.  
Rin and Ren looked at each other before they walked away.

"Oh," Haruhi said surprised. She looked back again, and the girl was looking the other way again.

Tamaki climbed up the statue behind them, eavesdropping.

"So, you're Haruhi Fujioka?" the chairman asked. "Come. Sit with me."

"Alright. Thank you sir," Haruhi said as she sat down next to him.

_So, this guy is Tamaki-senpai's father? Funny, they don't look all that much alike. _

"Nice to meet you chairman. I was just thinking earlier that I ought to have repaid my respects to you a long time ago. I'm so sorry."

"You know, chairman is so dry. Why don't you call me…Yes…" He pulled out a red rose and held it out to her. "Call me your uncle. It would please me." Tamaki then fell into the fountain.

_Wow, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all. But, he was much different when he talked to Rin and Ren…?_

"I find that I'm just so busy lately that I'm seldom here in person. But I've certainly heard some wonderful things about you."

"Oh why, thank you sir," she said nervously as she reached for the rose. He moved it out of the way and grabbed her hand.

"If you ever find yourself in trouble, I want you to know that you can come to your uncle for anything."

"…Kay?" Tamaki peeked over the couch.

"Father," he said angrily.

"That's chairman." It went silent.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! REMOVE YOUR HANDS AT ONCE PLEASE!" Tamaki screamed.

…

They heard a terrible sound and everyone went silent. People gasped at what they saw as glasses fell to the ground. Kyoya had a red mark on his cheek and a man has his hand in the air.

"Kyoya-senpai!" Haruhi said alarmed. The chairman stood up. Rin walked over, bent down and handed him his glasses.

"Is this how my son has been wasting his time?" the man with glasses, black hair, dark grey eyes and facial hair said.

"That's Kyo-chan's father?" Honey-senpai asked.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai said.

"You're an embarrassment to the Ootori name." He then walked away. Rin growled as she turned to face the now standing Kyoya.

"Don't cause a scene," he whispered and she nodded.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said, placing them back on his face.

…

"Suoh my friend, I'm sorry you had to witness that," he said.

"That did seem rather harsh, given how exceptional he really is," the chairman said. "For a man with three fine young sons to carry on his legacy, your adverse would seem to run deep…I've heard about your trouble. Believe me, it's only a matter of time before the media gets wind of it. Please tell me you're not taking that out on your son." Kyoya's father walked away.

…

"Kyoya! Are you alright?" Tamaki asked.

"Your dad is so mean," Hikaru said.

"You should never ever hit someone who's wearing glasses," Honey-senpai said, pouting.

"I don't think it's really about that," Kaoru said.

"Senpai? He wasn't upset with you because of the Host Club, right?" Haruhi asked and Tamaki gasped.

"Don't worry about it," Kyoya said as he pushed past. "It's not like I haven't been expecting this." He walked away.

"Because of…the Host Club?" Tamaki asked in disbelief.

"Whims have consequences Tamaki," the chairman said as he walked past. "Take my word for it, they do not come cheaply for people like us. Accept it. Life is hard. Rin and Ren will tell you that much…It's time for you to grow up and start realising that dreams only postpones the inevitable."

…

"Haruhi~!" Momoka called.

"Coming!" Haruhi said as she walked over. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to visit us."

…

"Start thinking about the future son. If you plan on becoming the head of the Suoh family, there's a long hard road ahead of you. You're going to have to live with the choices you make for the rest of your life. I advise you to think carefully about what you really want, before it's too late."

The door opened and there was an old woman in a traditional kimono, with two women standing beside her.

"Now look sharp. Your grandmother is here." The old woman with grey hair and grey eyes walked down the steps.

"Grandmother! I'm so glad you could come!" Tamaki said as he rushed over with a giant smile on his face.

…

"Aww, that's so sweet," Haruhi said. "So that's Tamaki-senpai's grandmother?" The other hosts didn't look happy.

"I hate that woman," Honey-senpai said coldly.

"Honey-senpai…?"

"She's a vile, disgusting woman," Rin said, crossing her arms.

"You'll see why in a minute," Ren said to Haruhi.

…

"Please come in. Take a seat."

"Don't patronize me," she said as she walked past him. "Filthy child." Haruhi gasped. "Lady Éclair. Come over here for a moment please." Tamaki turned around. The girl with red hair stood up and walked over to them.

"Hey, I was just…" Haruhi said, trailing off.

"What?" the twins asked.

"For the remainder of the day, until tomorrow, you will be Lady Éclair's personal escort." The girl's full name was Éclair Tonnerre. She smiled at Tamaki. She looked closer at him.

"What's wrong? I gave you an order."

"Hello there, Tamaki," Éclair said, using her Lorgnettes. Tamaki hesitated before he smiled at her.

"Very well grandmother. I will do everything in my power to ensure her happiness," he said. "Just as you wish."

"Tama-chan isn't coming back, is he?" Honey-senpai asked as Haruhi walked around, rolling the tray of sweets again.

"So does he really plan to spend-" Hikaru started.

"The entire fair escorting some stranger?" Kaoru asked.

…

_"Come princess, let us be off," he said and two left the room._

_…_

"Éclair, right? Or something like that," Hikaru said.

"Who is she to him? That's the mystery," Kaoru said.

"I spent most of my life with him and I had never known of a girl named Éclair," Rin said as she thought.

"I could tell you," Renge said as she walked over.

"Oh, Renge," the twins said.

"Éclair Tonnerre. She's the youngest daughter of the renounced French Tonnerre family. They descend from royalty."

"Indeed," Kyoya said. Their family has quite a history. Their wealth is something of a legend among financial heavyweights. In fact, just being associated with them makes you part of a very elite group. They also own Grand Tonnerre, a firm that's been buying up a lot of businesses in Japan lately. Of course, that doesn't explain why Lady Éclair has come to visit Tamaki."

…

The two were riding down a stream, surrounded by amazing buildings and artwork. "Isn't this charming?" Tamaki asked. "A picturesque gondola ride, an artist showcase all in one. Everything you see here, is made by members of the Ouran Art Club."

"How pedestrian," Éclair said. "Clearly the work of novices."

"That was a bit harsh. What would you have me do? The students put a lot of hard work into these pieces. But, we could go somewhere else, if you'd like, my Lady."

"Tamaki, I like to hear you play the piano." He looked at her, unsure of how she knew that. "For me?"

…

Haruhi straightened her red tie.

_"Of course, that doesn't explain why Lady Éclair has come to visit Tamaki." _

Those words were in her head. She heard the doors in the other room open.

…

"In here?" she heard Éclair ask.

"Well, it is a music room after all," Tamaki said. Haruhi's head shot up as she turned around and looked at the door. She could hear him playing a beautiful piece on the piano.

Éclair sat down on the couch, listening to the peaceful music. She opened her eye when she heard Haruhi accidentally bump into the door.

"So this is the room where you and that precious little Host Club of yours hold court, is it?" she asked. "I must admit, it was impressive seeing you all in action earlier. You must be very close."

"Naturally. You know what they say, a family that plays together, stays together."

"Family? What a sentimental notion. I believe in Japan they refer to that as 'Playing House'…You're so whimsical Tamaki. I bet they fall over themselves, trying to keep up with you. Especially that one in the glasses. The one that got slapped by his father."

…

_"Must you always be so capricious? You're impulsiveness overwhelms my accounting skills."_

_…_

Tamaki stopped playing.

_Could that be true, _he thought. _Could everyone be making sacrifices, just to keep me happy? Haruhi could be much closer to becoming a lawyer right now if I hadn't forced her to be a part of this club. She came here to study. But I've completely monopolised all of her free time._

The door handle turned, getting him out of his thoughts.

"Who is it?" Éclair asked. Haruhi opened the door.

"Oh, Haruhi, what are you doing here?" he asked as he stood.

"I just came back to change outfits. You were the one who wanted us to change costumes at least three times a day." She walked into the room. "Look, everyone's upset with you for disappearing on us like that. You should be with your club."

"My apologises," Éclair said. "I'm afraid he belongs to me for the time being. Forgive me for asking, but do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Haruhi gasped.

"Oh Haruhi," Tamaki said gushing. "So, is it true? Is it true? You're actually jealous?" He swayed as he blushed.

_The light bulb turned on._

Éclair gasped as Haruhi walked to the door.

"Sorry but no. I guess I'll be leaving now. Some of us have work to do," she said as she walked out of the room, the door slowly closing behind her.

"Hey! Wait a second! Haruhi!" he called but Éclair grabbed his hand as she stood up. The door closed with a loud bang.

"Please, you can't be interested in a shrew like that. I would have at least thought you would go after that blonde girl who seems like fun. But, you don't seem interested. You're interested in that shrew?" Tamaki's eyes narrowed.

"My lady! I would appreciate it if you would not refer to my little girl as a shrew!" he yelled.

"Your little girl? They're not real family Tamaki," she said, rubbing his hand. "So stop playing House." She then roughly pulled him and he fell onto the couch.

"What are you doing?" he asked nervously as she sat next to him, leaning over him.

"Wouldn't you prefer the real thing?" she asked. "Because I can give it to you, ya know?" She leaned forward, and he moved back.

…

"Look! How gorgeous!"

"Wow, amazing!"

"So pretty!"

"How dashing!"

"Cute!"

"How handsome!"

The hosts all turned to see Rin and her brother walking down the steps, her holding his hand as he guided her down.

Ren had on a full white tuxedo with white shoes.

Rin had on a white strapless dress that reached the floor, a white flower in her hair and her hair was down and hanging over her right shoulder.

"Wow! Rin-chan looks amazing!" Honey-senpai said.

"Yeah, she does," Mori-senpai said.

"And Ren looks good too!" Honey-senpai said.

"Yeah." Kyoya looked over with a blush but quickly looked away, hiding it. It faded away quickly though.

"Not bad," Kaoru said. The two walked over.

"Wow. You look amazing," Hikaru said with a smirk.

"Why thank you. You're not too bad yourself," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. He smirked, kissing her on the forehead. Ren rolled his eyes.

"Hey, where's Haruhi?" Ren asked as he let go of her hand.

"Still getting changed," the twins said.

…

"How dashing!"

"Oh my!"

These were things the girls squealed as Haruhi walked down the steps, wearing a white dress coat with grey pants.

"Haru-chan looks great!" Honey-senpai said.

"She does," Mori-senpai said. Kyoya looked up from his computer for a second to see.

"Wow, you clean up nicely," Rin said with a smirk.

"So do you," Haruhi said with a smile.

"So where did the boss go?" Hikaru asked.

"He was looking forward to this the most," Kaoru said.

"Our King is lounging in Music Room Three. He's entertaining Lady Éclair," Haruhi said bitterly.

"Well, well, well," Hikaru said.

"Sounds like someone's a little jealous," Kaoru said smirking. Honey-senpai, Ren and Mori-senpai nodded

"Don't deny it. It's a bit obvious," Rin said.

"Like I said, I'm not."

"Like you said?" they asked, tilting their heads.

"Look I, I just think he's being even more irresponsible than usual today. You said it yourself Kyoya-senpai, he's impulsive."

"True, he certainly is, but in this instance, he's obeying the whim of his grandmother," Kyoya said.

"Um, you know, now that I think about it, Tamaki-senpai's grandmother seemed rather cold toward him earlier. Is there some special reason for that?" The hosts all looked at each other.

"Well, everyone else knows about it," Hikaru said.

"You see, Tamaki-senpai is illegitimate," Kaoru said.

"Twenty-semi years ago, the Suoh patriarch died at a young age," Hikaru said. "For political reasons, Chairman Yuzuru was rushed into a marriage at the behest of his mother, to a woman of her choosing. That's how he became head of the family. But several years later, the chairman fell passionately in love with a beautiful young woman he met in Paris."

"Not long after, Tama-chan was born," Honey-senpai said.

…

_"No mother, I'm leaving my wife. I'm going to marry her."_

_…_

"The boss' grandmother vieitmatly objected," Kaoru said.

"Because of her poor health, living in Japan became too difficult for senpai's mother. So, she raised him in France until he was fourteen."

"Along the way, she raised me and my brother until we were old enough. Tamaki's childhood was a happy one. He never got upset and always had a smile on his face," Rin said.

"But, as time wore on, the family business on his mother's side tallied up, and they were forced into debt," Kaoru said.

"The boss' grandmother, worried about there being no heir to carry on the family name, came up with a proposal," Hikaru said.

…

_"I will provide the means to live comfortably for the rest of your days. In exchange, Tamaki is to come live with me in Japan. Without you. All contact between the two of you will be prohibited forever. These conditions, are non-negotiable."_

_…_

"Wow," Haruhi said, taking everything in.  
"The current patriarch may be Chairman Yuzuru Suoh technically, but for the time being, all of the family's assets remain under the control of Tamaki's grandmother," Kyoya said. "What's more, with his mother's health being so frail, Tamaki knew the grim prospects facing her if she had to live in debt. So,"

…

_"I've decided, I'm going to go to Japan. It's all for the best. Just promise me mom, promise me you'll take care."_

_…_

"Not long afterward, either out of anguish or plain guilt of having barded her son away for financial security, Tamaki's mother left France in shame and went into hiding. Her current whereabouts are unknown. To this day, he's never seen her again. Not once."

The sun had set and all the guests had left a while ago. The room became silent as they stared at the floor, saddened.

…

_"So, I won't get to see mommy anymore?" a young Haruhi asked, wearing all black. She held her father's hand._

_…_

"I had no idea," Haruhi muttered.

_He always seemed so cheerful. Who would have ever guessed? If I were in senpai's shoes, I don't know if I could ever forgive my grandmother for something like that. _

Kyoya then stood up.

"It's easy to feel sorry for him. But the hardships he faced as a child, helped mould him into the person he is today. But, I guess you could say that about everyone here…He'll be fine. The Host Club is his refugee, which means when all is said and done, he still has us," he said with a smile.

Haruhi looked at them all. They were all smiling down at her, and she couldn't resist to smile back at them.

The doors suddenly opened and Haruhi stood up.

"Tama-chan!" Honey-senpai said.

"Everyone, I have an important announcement," he said. Lady Éclair was standing next to him in the doorway.

"Huh?" they all asked.

"As of today, Lady Tonnerre and I are officially engaged. Furthermore, the Host Club will be permanently dissolved after the Ouran Fair." Haruhi gasped. "That is all."

* * *

**Authors Note: **Oh my god! This episode hangs on such a cliff-hanger!  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 – This is Our Ouran Fair!**

There was a beautiful picture of her mother standing up on the bench, newly placed flowers surrounding it. Light smoke wafted up past the photo, showing how recent everything had been.

"Haruhi," Ranka called from inside the living room. Haruhi used the shoehorn to place on her shoe. "You sure you don't want any breakfast?"

"No thanks," she said at the doorway. "Well, I'm off then!"

* * *

**SCHOOL FAIR DAY 2 – MAIN FAIR**

It was five minutes past three o'clock, which meant that the club activities would start again. The parents were all down in the Central Building Salon, where the Host Club was again.

"Welcome miss," Kyoya said as he placed down a cup of tea.

"Oh, I know you," Éclair said. "You're one of the Ootori family's sons, aren't you? Unfortunately, you're the third son so you'll never be the successor." He put on a fake smile.

"What can I do for you today mademoiselle?"

"You can tell me how much Haruhi Fujioka is in debt to the Host Club." Kyoya looked at her in surprise.

…

"Haruhi. Someone to see you," Kyoya said. She turned around and noticed Éclair's smug look. He then walked away.

"How are you today?" Haruhi asked as she sat down.

"I couldn't help but notice that my Tamaki had a soft spot for you."

"Just what are you getting at? Are you saying you're jealous of me?"

"Oh, listen to you," she said arrogantly. "Tamaki won't be coming today. I warned him that I'd be upset if he ever showed his face here at the Host Club again."

"I wonder what happened to Tama-chan," Honey-senpai said.

"I'm getting worried," Hikaru said. "Something's up with him. After what he said yesterday…"

…

_"As of today, Lady Tonnerre and I are officially engaged. Furthermore, the Host Club will be permanently dissolved after the Ouran Fair."_

_…_

The hosts looked saddened as they stared at the ground.

"Alright gentlemen, no more idle chatter," Kyoya said as he walked over. "Our guests are waiting for us."

"Senpai, it's like you don't even care," Kaoru said.

"It's our job to take care of our guests to the best of our ability. Remember, they're looking to us to entertain them. Their happiness is the utmost importance."

"He's right Kao-chan!" Honey-senpai yelled as he shoved him.

"Honey-senpai! What are you doing?!" Kaoru screamed. "Come on, we've got to go," Mori-senpai said.

"Let go of me Mori-senpai!" Hikaru said with a struggle. Kyoya turned around and noticed Lady Éclair standing up and walking away, leaving Haruhi to stare. He watched her walk away, over to the two blonde siblings.

"Excuse me, may I have a quick word with Rin over here?" Éclair asked as she walked over to them. They looked at each other.

"Of course Lady Éclair," Rin said as the two walked away.

"You know, I've noticed that you're not the only female in the club. Doesn't that reassure you?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh please, Tamaki made it pretty clear that Haruhi was a girl. He is his little girl after all, and so are you."

"If you're questioning our relationship, there is nothing going on between us. I'm already in a relationship with someone else, and Tamaki and I only see each other as family."

"Well, that's good. Well, since there's no competition, I best be off. Make sure Haruhi stays her distance." Éclair then gave her a smug smile and walked out of the room. Rin watched her leave as she slightly growled.

"Thank you for all of your hard work Haruhi," Kyoya said as he walked over to her. She looked up, confused. "After that request from Lady Éclair, you're debt has been paid. You've finally repaid us for that renaissance vase you broke. So you're free to quit the Host Club, if you'd like."

Haruhi was in shock. It became silent as she let the information sink in. But, she heard the sound of footsteps walking towards them. It was Kyoya's father. He stopped once he reached his son.

"When they're young, they assume they have all the time in the world, but really, that is never the case. Don't waste your time with something that will ultimately have no value." Haruhi gasped, but then grew angry as she stood up.

"You don't know anything about the Host Club," she said, causing his father to stop walking.

"Kyoya-senpai works round the clock to make sure that everyone here is enjoying themselves. And did you ever stop to think that entertaining others might just give us some fulfilment? How could you possibly say that what we do here is just a waste of our time? I don't care what you say. I think Kyoya-senpai is amazing."

His father took a moment to think before he started walking away again. "I see, so that must be the honour student Kyoya told me about."

…

Rin stood in front of him, with her hands on her hips.

"And just who are you?" his father asked, slightly annoyed.

"Who am I? I'm Rin Hayashi, a member of the Host Club and your son's ex-girlfriend. The one that apparently wasn't good enough for him."

He looked back at his assistant who nodded. "She's telling the truth sir," he said to him.

"So, you're the infamous Hayashi girl?"

"Yes, I am. And I've finally worked up the courage to come face to face with you…I know the truth. I know what you did."  
"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh yes you do," she said as she walked closer. "You manipulated your son, who would do anything you say just to get some much needed approval, into dumping me because of a lack of money? And your reason? For the good of the company? It's such a disgusting thing to do, manipulating your own family for some selfish reason as self-image. And plus, isn't your family having some trouble of its own?"

"What is your point young lady?"

"Oh, I just find it funny how you felt like being associated with a girl who was losing a little bit of money would hurt you, but look what's happening now. I guess Karma does exist. Isn't it funny? Bad things do happen to bad people." She then turned around and walked away. He stared at her for a moment, before a smirk appeared on his face.

"She's the girl I denied my son to be with? What a mistake."

…

Éclair listened to their conversation as she stood in the shower, holding her Lorgnettes in her hand.

…

"I'm concerned with our standing with Grand Tonnerre," the chairman said in the other room. "They've recently been buying up Japanese companies' right and left."

"Don't worry," Tamaki's grandmother said. "Everything will be fine. Once we have an heir, the Suoh family will prosper once again. After all, it's not like the boy can turn against us."

"Tamaki has never been interested in anything involving the family." He sat at his desk, looking at the many photographs of his son during different stages of his life. "What have you done to change his mind?"

"I told him that if he asked Lady Éclair to marry him, I would allow him to see his mother."

"But you can't be serious?"

"Your child is having to make amends for the indiscretions of your youth, my son."

…

In the other room, Tamaki was playing a song on the piano, wearing his white tuxedo. Éclair turned off the shower and got out. She quickly changed and walked out, drying her hair off with a towel. She walked over to him slowly. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she leant her head against his shoulder, smirking all the while.

But, the phone got them both alert. Tamaki reached for his phone on the piano but before he could grab it, Éclair roughly snatched it and walked away with it. She noticed who was calling and she grew annoyed. There was a picture of Haruhi and Tamaki, him looking happier than her.

…

_"Tamaki won't be coming today. I warned him that I'd be upset if he ever showed his face here at the Host Club again. Tell me, are you Tamaki's lover?" Éclair asked._

_"No miss, not at all," Haruhi said emotionless. _

_"I see. That's good to hear. Then I guess you must mean nothing to him." _

_"While I may not be his lover, I know that I am not nothing to him."_

_…_

She watched as the phone rang for a few seconds before her eyes narrowed. She then lifted it up in the air and dropped into the fish tank, watching it sink to the bottom. "I think it's best that you don't have any contact with your friends for a while," she said smugly. "It'll make it harder for you to leave."

They then heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" she said as she turned around. The butler opened the door.

"There is a visitor here to see you ma'am."

"Please, have him come in." In walked Kyoya's father.

"Mr Ootori, why are you here?" Tamaki asked as he stood up.

"I should be asking you the same question," he said as he sat down on the couch. Éclair followed suit, as two cups of tea were placed on the table in front of them.

"Don't you worry about him," she said.

"Sir, it's a pleasure to see you again," he said. "…It's my fault that Kyoya joined the Host Club. I'm really sorry…But sir, I don't understand what you're doing here."

"We're terribly sorry we had to come and ask you to come all this way," the butler said. "I hope the trip hasn't burdened you." The assistant opened a briefcase as Kyoya's father shook his head.

"No. On the contrary, I'm always quite happy to avoid the press." Tamaki gasped. "From what I understand, my medical equipment company is about to be bought out from under me by Grand Tonnerre. And you know it probably serves Kyoya right. The company I was considering handing over to him, will be forever out of his hands now."

Kyoya was typing away on his computer. He noticed Haruhi staring out the window, watching the clock. He noticed that Rin had come over to comfort her while the other hosts watched. He took another quick glance, before he started typing again.

"Excuse me sir," Éclair said. "But there's one more thing. I've a favour to ask you." The phone in the water started making bubbles and the fish swam away.

…

The sun had set and all the remaining hosts were now wearing their new set of costumes. Kyoya was trying to ring him, but there was no answer. He listened as the phone kept ringing.

"Kyoya-senpai, what's with this outfit?" Haruhi asked.

"We told you, it's a costume for the special parade," Hikaru said.

"You look so cute Haru-chan," Honey-senpai said.

"I don't understand. Why am I the only one dressed as a girl?"

"You're not, remember?" Rin asked, wearing the same outfit but in a different colour.

"I meant out of the guys Rin," she said annoyed.

"Oh come on, it's cosplay, so it's alright to dress like a girl," Hikaru said.

"I am one you know," Haruhi said.

"Well, maybe if you acted like one, we wouldn't have to make fun of you for it," Rin said and Haruhi glared as Hikaru chuckled.

"Well?" Kaoru asked Kyoya, waiting for the answer.

"What's going on?" Ren asked.

"Nothing. He's not there." He shut the phone which caused them all to look at him.

"I can't believe senpai didn't show," Haruhi said. "I really thought he was going to make it, despite what she said."

They all went silent, disappointed and worried. Kyoya sighed as he got out his phone and dialled a different number. He waited as the phone rang until finally, someone picked up the phone.

* * *

**SUOH SECOND ESTATE**

_"Hello Shima, it's been a while hasn't it? It's Kyoya."_

"This is about Master Tamaki, isn't it? I am sorry Kyoya, but the Master will be departed for France soon." She heard him gasp. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he said the Suoh family had forgiven his beloved mother and that he was finally going to see her again. He also said that if he stayed at Ouran any longer, his capriciousness would only continue to make trouble for you and everyone else in the club."

…

"How could he be so stupid?" Kyoya asked, grinding his teeth. He removed the phone from his ear. "Evidently, Tamaki is planning to return to France."

"Huh?" all the members expect Haruhi asked.

"Tama-chan is going to leave us?" Honey-senpai asked.

"You're kidding me?!" Hikaru yelled. "They can't just let it end so suddenly." He started shaking.

"Hikaru," Kaoru said. Rin rubbed his back, comforting him.

_"Excuse me sir."_

"Yes?" he asked into the phone.

_"I was just thinking, if the Master's mother is as remarkable of a woman as he claims she is, then I can only imagine how upset she'd be with the manner and way the Master has chosen to leave Ouran Academy."_

_…_

Tamaki stared at the giant clock, standing outside next to a red car. He sighed as he looked at the school for the last time.

…

"Do you know when he's leaving Shima?"

_"I'm afraid his flight is this evening."_

"Why is he leaving so soon?"

_"He would have left sooner, but he said he had to wait until the Ouran Fair was ending."_ He gasped. He watched through the window as he saw a red car fly past. Inside the car was a driver, Lady Éclair and Tamaki. "Tamaki!" From this, the hosts, expect Haruhi, all rushed to the window.

"Tama-chan!" Honey-senpai cried.

"Are you kidding me?!" Rin said.

"No way!" Kaoru said as he slammed his hands on the window.

"The Ouran Fair isn't even over yet!" Hikaru yelled.

"Tamaki, you idiot!" Ren yelled.

"My family's car should be in the parking lot," Kyoya said.

"Haruhi! Let's go!" She looked up and gasped.

…

It was almost six o'clock now and most people were staring to leave. Kyoya, the twins, Ren, Rin and Haruhi all ran through the parking lot. Rin had to help Haruhi run as she was constantly stumbling in her high heels. The six finally reached the black car as they stopped.

"We're in a hurry, can you drive us?" Kyoya asked the driver inside the car.

"I'm sorry sir but," the driver started.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Well, you see…the thing is…" They heard heaps of footsteps behind them and they turned around. There were hundreds of the Ootori Police Force, standing there.

"You want to tell me your orders?" Kyoya asked. The police officers moved even closer. "Let me guess. You've been hired to protect Lady Éclair?" Rin and Hikaru looked at each other.

He gently pulled her behind them, protecting her. She grabbed Haruhi and pulled her behind her. They all knew who really was going to be the one to stop Tamaki. Kaoru stood closer to his brother, helping protect Haruhi. Ren stood in front of them all.

"I am truly sorry it has come to this," one of the officers said.

"But as members of the Ootori Police, we answer to your father."

"Dammit!" Kyoya screamed as he smashed his hand into the car, creating a loud bang and that dinted the car. Rin covered her ears. Ren patted her on the back.

"I'm terribly sorry sir, but we've been ordered to now allow any of you to leave. Even if we have to stop you by force."

They heard the sound of hooves clopping against the floor and they turned around, as did the police officers. There was Mori-senpai, driving the horse carriage. It stopped right in front of some of the officers and they gasped. The horse stood as it swung its front legs into the air, making the officers fall to the ground. Honey-senpai jumped out of the carriage and landed in front of half of the officers. They all gasped.

"Hikaru, take the carriage," Mori-senpai said. "If you use the back hills bypass, you can cut them off." He then jumped down from the carriage and next to Honey-senpai.

"It's Haninozuka!"

"And Morinozuka!" They all stepped back in slight fear.

Hikaru climbed on the front and held the rains in one hand. He held out his other hand and Rin took it as they both pulled her up. She sat down next to him.

"Ren, you coming?" she asked.

"No. You four go. I'll stay behind," he said. Kaoru then climbed into the carriage. He held out his hand for Haruhi.

"Come on," he said. She stepped back, in worry. She was then grabbed by the shoulders and pulled backwards.

"Haruhi," Kyoya said. "Go get that idiot. Hurry!" He then pushed her forward and Kaoru grabbed onto her arm, pulling her into the carriage.

"Now go! This is your chance!" Hikaru nodded as he slammed the reins down. The horses quickly ran and the carriage moved with great speed.

"Don't just stand there! Stop that-" the officer screamed as Honey-senpai jumped on his head and pushed him to the ground. He flipped off and landed perfectly. The officers all ran towards him.

"Takashi, DON'T GO EASY ON THEM!" Honey-senpai screamed as he charged at them.

"Don't worry, I won't!" Mori-senpai said as he grabbed two of them by the neck and flung them around in circles.

The carriage was moving so fast that in a matter of seconds, they were out of the parking lot and out in the sunset.

…

Honey-senpai dusted his hand off as he stared at the giant pile of police officers, all of them soundly defeated.

"I told you! Picking on my friends is a big no-no!"

"You should never underestimate the Ouran Host Club," Kyoya said with a smirk.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai said as he stretched his neck.

"Man, I wish I had some popcorn for that," Ren said.

"Man, you guys are cocky," someone said as they grabbed Ren by the neck. He gasped as he was pulled into the officer.

"Ren-chan!" Honey-senpai called.

"Stay back or this one gets it," the officer said. Ren smirked.

"You sure about that?" Ren asked.

"Huh?" Ren then punched backwards, hitting the man in the face. He officer fell to the ground, holding his face. Ren grabbed the man by his shirt and chucked him in the air. The officer screamed as he landed on the top of the pile.

"Who's the cocky one now?" Ren asked as the officer groaned.

"Well done Ren-chan!"

"Yeah." Kyoya smiled, but then became serious again.

_Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi, Rin. Please bring him back._

_…_

Hikaru slammed down on the reins, faster and faster, making the horses run even faster. Rin yelped as the carriage moved even quicker. "Hikaru, don't you think you should slow down?" Kaoru asked. "Someone could get hurt!"

"We're not slowing down until we get the boss down," Hikaru yelled. Rin grabbed onto his arm.

"But Hikaru," Kaoru tried to say.

"If it wasn't for Tamaki, the two of us would still only be lost souls. We were able to become friends with Haruhi and the others and I was able to find love because the Host Club brought us together. To think that it all could end so suddenly…IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T TOLERATE!"

One of the carriage wheels slammed down on something and it made the carriage swerve. Hikaru lost control and the carriage jumped slightly, causing them all to gasp. He grabbed onto Rin as she screamed, wrapping his arms around her as they flung into the air. Kaoru pushed Haruhi down, keeping her in the carriage.

Hikaru and Rin landed on the ground as he screamed in pain. The carriage landed back on the ground as the horses whined, stumbling back to a standing position.

"No! Hikaru!" Kaoru screamed as he jumped out of the carriage and ran towards him. "Hikaru! Hikaru! Hikaru!"

"Hikaru!" Rin called as she moved away from him, helping Kaoru to sit him up. Hikaru grabbed onto his arm, his face showing how much pain he was in.

"Are you okay? Is your arm hurting you?" he asked.

"This can't be the end boss," he said. "It's just not fair. The Host Club was the only thing that made us happy. Dammit."

"Hikaru…"

"Are you gonna be okay?" Rin asked.

"Please be okay Hikaru," Kaoru said.

"Your arm might be broken. We're gonna have to get you to a hospital," she said.

"No, I'll be fine."

"No, she's right," Kaoru said.

Haruhi watched the scene from inside the carriage.

…

_"Well, I'm off then," Haruhi said as she placed her hand on the doorknob. She was about to turn it when her father spoke up._

_"What? You can't talk to your dad about it? What's the matter Haruhi?"_

_"What do you mean? I'm not just that hungry this morning."_

_"You can't fool me kiddo. The last time you skipped breakfast was after your mother's funeral. And it was a while before you could eat again."_

_…_

_"So, I won't get to see mummy anymore?" a six year old Haruhi asked her dad at the funeral, holding his hands._

_…_

_"There's many things in this world that you cannot ever change. No matter how desperately you try." He walked towards them. He then gently pulled her head into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. _

_"Just remember Haruhi, you have to stay brave, even if it seems like your world is crumbling around you sometimes."_

_…_

The wind suddenly picked up and her wig blew in the wind. She narrowed her eyes as she unpinned the wig and chucked it to the ground. She then took off the ridiculous outfit and was just left in a simple white underdress. "Rin. Get here now."

"What?" she asked. Haruhi grabbed her arm and chucked her into the carriage. "What the hell Haruhi?!" Haruhi then jumped over to the front of the carriage and sat down.

"What's she doing?" Hikaru asked. Haruhi grabbed onto the reins. She lifted them into the air and slammed them down, whipping the horses, making them start to run.

"Wait! I didn't agree to this!" Rin screamed as the carriage moved. Hikaru and Kaoru ran over, but by the time they did, Haruhi and Rin were both gone into the distance.

…

"What's the matter Tamaki?" Éclair asked. "You haven't said a word since we've left. You're a host aren't you? Come on, entertain me." They were driving across the bridge.

"I have a question to ask," Tamaki said. "Are you sure about this? Will you even be happy married to me? Or are you just following orders?" She smirked, looking through her Lorgnettes.

…

"There he is!" Rin called to Haruhi. They were riding on a hill, right above them to the right. She looked down and nodded.

"Hold on!" Haruhi said as she slammed down on the reins and the horses ran faster.

"Wait! What?!" Rin yelled. She then grabbed onto the side of the carriage and screamed as the horses jumped into the air, launching them all over the end of the hill and onto the bridge. Tamaki and Éclair turned around at the scream.

He stood up in the car and gasped. "Haruhi! Rin!"

"That's Haruhi Fujioka?" Éclair asked herself in disbelief.

"What are you doing Haruhi?! This is dangerous!"

"That's what I said!" Rin shouted back.

"Stop the carriage now!"

"Senpai! Please come back to Ouran!" Haruhi screamed.

"I mean it! Stop the carriage!"

"All of us would be completely lost without you senpai!"

"But they, they all said they were put out by the Host Club."

"Are you kidding me Tamaki?!" Rin shouted.

"What are you talking about?"

"You really are an idiot!" Haruhi shouted. "What's wrong with you?! After all this time we've been together, YOU STILL CAN'T TELL WHEN WE'RE JOKING AND WHEN WE'RE BEING SERIOUS?!" Tamaki screamed. "Everyone loves being in the Host Club! We really do! Even me senpai!"

She then held one hand out to Tamaki. "I love being in the Host Club too!"

Tamaki reached his arm out to her but Éclair stopped him. He looked at her. She looked up at him, upset.

"Come on Éclair, please, do the right thing!" Rin shouted. She looked over at the blonde girl, and then looked away.

The horses tripped over something and were getting out of control. Because of this, the carriage slammed into the side of the bridge. Rin screamed as Haruhi yelled, only one hand on the reins.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki screamed. Haruhi was in shock. Her foot lifted off the carriage and she flew into the air, over the side of the bridge.

"HARUHI!" Rin screamed as she reached out for her. Éclair gasped, watching as the girl flew off the edge. "Éclair! Please!" From this, Éclair felt tears prick in her eyes and she let go of his arm. He whispered something to her as he jumped off the side of the car and over the bridge.

"TAMAKI! YOU IDIOT!" The horses than ran to the other side, almost crashing into the side of the car. She quickly climbed into the front and grabbed onto the reins, pulling the reins back and the horses stopped. She screamed as she flung over the top of the carriage and landed on the bridge.

The red car stopped as Éclair stepped out.

…

"HARUHI!" Tamaki screamed as he reached for her.

"SENPAI!" Haruhi screamed as she reached for him. Tamaki lunged himself forward, grabbing onto her hand. He pulled her towards him as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He leaned forward, almost kissing her, but he changed his mind. He then pulled her head to his chest. She gasped before smiling and wrapping her arms around him. The two then fell into the water.

…

"Are you alright?" Éclair asked as she helped Rin up.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Rin said as she stood up. "Thank you, by the way, for letting go. It must have been hard." Éclair sighed.

"I guess you best be off," she said, avoiding the question. "They must be worried."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, goodbye, Lady Éclair." She curtsied as she then ran down the bridge.

…

She reached the others who had rushed over.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Hikaru asked as he ran towards her, pulling her into a one armed hug.

"I'm fine. I should be asking you that," she said, pulling back.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"You sure? It looks pretty bad."

"Hey, I said, don't worry," he said as he grabbed her chin with a smile. She had to smile back.

"Rin! I heard! Are you okay!" Ren screamed as he ran over and pulled her into a giant bear hug.

"Ren…can't….breathe," she struggled to say. He let go before rubbing the back of his neck, blushing.

"Sorry." She laughed.

"It's alright. I just hope they're alright…"

…

They had gotten out of the water and had reached the shore. Tamaki was carrying her bridal style. "That was reckless of you. You need to be more careful," he said. "Look at you, you're soaking wet."

"A little water never hurt anyone," she said as he placed her down on the ground. "Besides, people are always telling me that I'm dripping with good looks." He looked at her confused before he smiled. She closed her eyes, giggling as he blushed.

"TAMA-CHAN! HARU-CHAN!" Honey-senpai screamed as he ran towards them.

"Hey boss!" the twins shouted as they ran.

"You guys are alright!" Rin said as she ran.

"Ah, man, he is such a moron," Kyoya said from the car.

"I couldn't agree more," Ren said with a smile.

…

Éclair sat in the car, watching to make sure they were okay.

"Let's go ahead," she said, turning to the driver, who was the butler. He nodded as he began to drive.

"Miss Éclair, you've heard the stories the housekeeper tells back home, haven't you? The one who's always talking about her son who loved to play piano for her, and those two kids she took care of?" Éclair looked down, remembering.

…

_"Is he really as sweet as you say he is?" Éclair asked the beautiful blonde woman who stared out the window._

_…_

_"Thanks Éclair," Tamaki said before he jumped._

_…_

"I was going to give him the opportunity to see his mother again. He's such a fool. But even so, even for someone like me, he still smiled." Her Lorgnettes lie back on the bridge, forgotten as the car drove away, never to see them again.

It was a beautiful night. The stars were out and the trees had beautiful yellow leaves on them. Everyone was dressed in formal wear, dancing with their partners as the music played.

…

Honey-senpai was smiling and giggling as he spun Haruhi around. She was screaming out as she was getting dizzy. She was let go and spun over to the next person.

…

Kyoya danced around with Rin, having a genuine smile on his face, which was very rare. For one of the first times around him, she was actually happy. He then smirked as he passed her off.

…

Mori-senpai caught Haruhi's hand and slowly spun her around, keeping her steady. She smiled, silently thanking him. They danced for a while before he passed her to the next person.

…

Rin smiled as Tamaki took her hand gently and spun her. He danced around elegantly with her, making her laugh. He hugged her before he spun her as he passed her off.

..

"I'm sorry that we caused you concern," Kyoya's father said. "It looks like Grand Tonnerre won't be purchasing my company after all. An unexpected backer turned up. They bought the company before Tonnerre had a chance. And the backer said that he was turning all the management rights over to me."

…

Ren grabbed hold of her hand and spun her around. Haruhi laughed. He told her how grateful he was towards her. She smiled and thanked him for helping around the club. He smirked as he passed her to the next person.

…

Rin screamed as Honey-senpai spun her around. She thought she might be sick if he didn't stop soon. He was giggling the whole time though. She stumbled as he passed her off.

…

Kaoru danced with Haruhi as he told her about what happened at the hospital with Hikaru. She nodded, making sure he was alright. He smiled as he as he passed her to the next person.

…

"Well that was a bold move," the chairman said. "Which funds manager was it?"

"A student investor called K.O. He cleverly left his name out of the deal, but it didn't take me long to figure out who it was."

…

Mori-senpai spun Rin around slowly, making sure she wouldn't fall over. She smiled at him, thanking him. He smiled as he patted her on the head before passing her off.

…

Haruhi was about to dance with Hikaru when she accidentally touched his broken arm and he screamed. She apologised profusely as he laughed, telling her not to worry.

…

"K.O is Kyoya Ootori. The new backer was none other than my own son."

"At least we know we don't have to worry about the future. I thought I knew how brilliant Kyoya was, but it seems he's even smarter than I thought."

…

Tamaki bowed as Haruhi stood in front of him. He held out his hand for her and she was just about to take it when Kyoya took it instead and danced with her.

…

"Maybe so, but I think your son's the one that's truly amazing."

"Hmmm?"

"I am responsible for the entirety of Kyoya's education. I always knew he would surpass his older brothers someday. However, I must say, I'm shocked. While I can imagine Kyoya taking over a company, I never thought he would turn around and give it back to its original owner."

…

Rin grabbed hold of Ren's hand and they did some really stupid dance, ruining the elegance for that moment. They both laughed as he then spun her around in circles and hugged her before passing her off.

…

Tamaki was having a complete spaz as Kyoya had snatched her away from him. He smirked as he turned her around and pushed her forward, into Tamaki. They both looked at him confused, but he simply bowed at them.

…

Kaoru reassured Rin that both he and his brother was alright and they everything would be okay. She was sceptical. He had to laugh at that as he danced with her.

…

"As Kyoya grew up, I was constantly dangling the Ootori family companies in front of his face, torturing him with something he could never have. Now, not only has he taken out from under me by force, but he's basically told me that he doesn't want it and has thrown it back in my face."

…

Rin reached Hikaru and she smiled. He smiled back as he grabbed her hand and spun her around. She thanked him for everything he had done for her and kissed him on the lips. She laughed as he blushed, his face red. He snapped out of it and leaned down and kissed her again, much to her delight.

…

"Do you know what that means?" The chairman turned around. "It means he's finally found it. He's found something that has an even greater value to him. And that's probably thanks to Tamaki."

…

Tamaki danced with Haruhi as all the girls around them gushed at how cute they were. He stopped and smiled at her. She smiled back as the colourful fireworks started in the sky.

…

"Though our companies sometimes cause us to compete, I think we'll get along just fine from now on," the chairman said.

"Agreed. I think we can get along famously. Just like our two sons do. I almost forgot, there was one thing I wanted to run by you. Is Rin Hayashi single?"

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, she isn't. She is in a loving relationship with one of the Hitachiin brothers."

"Really?" The chairman nodded. "Well, what about that honour student girl, Haruhi Fujioka, was it? I think she would make a lovely bride for my Kyoya in the future. I just wanted you to know my intentions."

"Well unfortunately, it looks like we're not going to get on well after all. I'm sorry, but that's the one thing I could never allow, my friend."

…

_"Only those with excellent social standing and those from filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time here at the elite private school, Ouran Academy. The Ouran Host Club is where the school's most handsomest boys, and a cute girl with too much time on their hands, entertain young ladies and gentlemen who also have way too much time on their hands. _

_"Think of it as Ouran Academy's playground for the super-rich and beautiful," Tamaki said._

_…_

The doors to the Music Room Three opened as a bright light seeped through. Red rose petals flew through the air.

"Remember, you're welcome to visit us in Music Room Three whenever you'd like to," Haruhi said.

"The Ouran Host Club will be waiting for you," they all said.

"And we would like to thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts," Rin said with a smile.

"We'll see you then~!"

**...WE WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU...**

* * *

**Authors Note: **Oh, how I love that ending! It brings me so much happiness. It's such a beautiful ending to a beautiful show. I love it~!  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave your opinions and comments or whatever. Thanks for reading~!


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